The Portal Of Darkness: The Fight For Earth
by Matt Smith
Summary: Picking up shortly where the first story left off, Lara finds herself in the middle of a planet wide war between ourselves and the Empire. Now, Matt, AJ, and Kirsty must gather allies, old and new alike, to stop our planet from being plunged into darkness
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Cover Of Darkness**

_**Earth – Six months after the portal was reopened by Matt**_

The days were long, and the nights seemed longer. It had been almost six months since she had gotten back to Earth, and found the uncertain situation. Now Lara Hall just waited, moving from place to place, to avoid Imperial detection. She knew that everyone that had been involved before was on their list of shoot on sight. She had wanted this. She wanted to come back to the normal world, because she felt she just didn't fit in over there… in that world with all that advanced technology.

So now she was back, thanks to Matt, who actually gave her what she wanted. And with her, came the empire. Not that she wanted them to join her, but… something went wrong. She wasn't sure what or how, but somehow, they followed her. And now, they were taking over the once beautiful, polluted, destroyed planet of Earth. She once cried herself to sleep, because she had been forced to watch an entire family get slaughtered shortly after she had returned.

Now, every night, she replayed that same scene. She watched, helplessly from the cover on the trash containers, as the storm troopers open fired on the small children, too young to know what was happening. The Mother, who was only protecting her young. The Father, hell-bent on protecting his family.

This was not what she wanted to come back to. She wanted to come back, and write a story, a book. Live life to the fullest, because before… she hadn't. Well, maybe she had. A little. But then she was thrusted into a Galactic war without any choice. But instead, she ran. Ran from Armored men. Large robots and tank walkers and space fighters.

As she lay on the thin blanket in the abandoned warehouse, she stared up at the blank ceiling, thinking. Wondering how her friends on the other side were fairing. If they even knew what was happening over here. To be honest, she hoped they did. She hoped with all her might that they would bust in here and save her and their wonderful planet that they all took for granted.

But they never did.

_**Mandalore**_

The breeze was flowing nicely today. It had been lacking from the air for the past week. But today, it was stronger then ever. Kal Skirata stood in the doorway staring out into the forest as he waited for his boys. Well, not his boys. Vau's boys. His boys were dead. Killed by that so called Jedi Prophet, Skywalker.

And even though those outcasts managed to kill the Jedi, or Sith, or whatever Skywalker was, Kal still wasn't happy about what happened. His men were trained to survive. But even he knew that the training he put his boys through would never be enough to withstand the Jedi's power. Vau's boys had managed to survive, the target had been taken off them in the heat of the battle by those outcasts, thankfully.

Kal heard the footsteps coming from the left of the doorway, scuffing the ground as they drew closer. "Ord'ika." The Null Commander stopped on the corner of the doorway, and nodded to Kal, who just nodded back. "Are they here yet?" He asked quietly. Kal shook his head. "Just the rest of your Null Brothers. Delta and the… _Others_ are taking their time arriving."

Kal couldn't help but notice Ordo's hands curl into a fist when he mentioned them. The others. The outcasts. "Udesiir, Ord'ika…"

Ordo just walked in past Kal, muttering, "I am calm."

Moments later, Kal watched as a land speeder flew up, about 10 feet from the doorway. Several Teenage people got out, as did one blue Twi'lek, and Delta squad. Boss led the group up to the door, where Kal stood, leaning his right shoulder against the door frame, staring out at them with no emotion.

"Three-eight. Good to see you old friend."

"Skirata. It's been a while."

"Indeed. Who are your friends here?"

Boss looked up at Kal, with a confused look, but responded accordingly. "Jedi Master Aayla Secura, Jedi Knight Matthew Smith, and Captain Kirsty Harrington." Scorch walked past the doorway, not even attempting to go inside. "Kal. I'm going to drop off the gear. Be inside in a few." Kal nodded. "Six-two. I'll see you inside, son." Fixer followed him and Boss to a small barracks shack near the back of the house itself.

Kal blinked, and kicked himself mentally for forgetting that they also lost a comrade. _Sev. _Kal was suddenly furious – not only with the younglings, but with himself for forgetting just a commendable soldier. The Jedi called Matthew had stepped forward. Kal stood straight, no longer leaning up against the door frame, and took several stepped forward, to meet the three. Only he met them alright. Particularly Matthew. As his fist flew, he suddenly regretted the action. His rage had blinded him once again to the fact that both squads had volunteered to help the outcasts in the quest.

The boy touched his lip, drawing blood to his fingertips. But for some reason, the boy was unsurprised by Kal's action. He merely stood up and brushed himself off. "I have to be carefully not to mistake you for Walon Vau, I take it."

Kal just stared at the boy, surprised. "I'm… sorry."

"Understandable, after the events that have taken place." He said softly. Kal nodded, and motioned for them to enter the house. "They're waiting for us. Shall we?"

Matt nodded, with a neutral expression, and said, "Yes. We shall."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Are You In, Or Are You Out?**

Kal was the last to step into the room, directly after the three outcasts did. Matt was still touching his lip from the punch Kal had given him in his moment of selfishness. "Boys," Kal said, "This is Jedi Master Aayla Secura, Jedi Knight Matthew Smith, and Captain Kirsty Harrington."

Ordo just stared at them. Prudii and Mereel gave simple nods to the three strangers. Suddenly someone was clearing their throat. The Nulls turned, and everyone looked at Walon Vau. He stared at Matt and Kirsty. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Kal just held his breath. Matt blinked. "I'm sorry about everything that has happened." He started, only to have Vau cut him off. "Sorry? That's all you have to say about all that's happened. Your sorry. Men are dead. Good men!"

Matt stood his ground, and just stared at Vau. He was out of words that could be of any comfort or consolation. Kirsty stepped forward. "Sergeant Vau. We didn't ask to be brought here. Instead, we were forced here. By the dark side of the force."

"No one cares. You came here, you caused those men to die! All of you!" Vau muttered loudly.

"We lost several of our friends too, if you've forgotten." She retorted.

"The cost of war."

The entire room was filled with the sound of people sucking in a breath and holding it tightly. Everyone turned and looked at Matt. At that point, no one moved. No one breathed. No one blinked.

"What did you say boy?" Kal asked softly, eyeing Ordo as his hand kept pumping into a fist. Matt just looked up from the ground and looked at each of them. "The cost of war, is lives. Lives of a great many men. Not good men. Great men. War requires them to die, in order for the war to end."

Suddenly Matt was on the ground, and he was grappling with Ordo and his vibro-blade. "No! Stop this!" Aayla screamed. "Those men, were brothers to all of us!" Ordo screamed, almost busting Matt's ear drums. Suddenly Ordo went flying backwards and slammed into the wall. Matt got to his feet. "I didn't come here to fight you."

"No. You didn't. You came here, to rub it in our faces, that outcasts like yourselves, not even from this galaxy, some how survived over men who were from this galaxy and even had a hundred million times more military training then you." Said Mereel.

Matt shook his head. "Think what you might. But I have only come here to…" Suddenly Prudii clocked him. Matt shook his head and turned to Skirata. "Fabulous group you got here, Kal…" He turned and suddenly Ordo had him up in the air by his throat. "Why don't you just go back to your world, and leave ours alone?"

Suddenly Ordo went down and Matt dropped to his feet, gasping for air. Kirsty looked at Ordo. "You touch him, you touch me."

"I don't like hitting women, but I've made an exception or two in my time."

"Go for it." She whispered in his ear. Suddenly he grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. Mereel rushed over before Matt could respond and tackled him into the wall. Prudii just watched as Kirsty punched Ordo in the face, knocking him back away from her.

Matt put his knee into Mereel's stomach and then force pushed him back. Ordo climbed to his feet slowly, only to hear the charging of a blaster, that was, when he looked up, pointed at his head. Kirsty just glared.

"What the hell?" Scorch exclaimed from the doorway. Everyone stopped and stared at Scorch. Something in his voice was different. "We just lost our best, and all you null-brained _di'kute_ want to do is fist fight?"

He turned and walked out, just dropping a pack on the ground. Suddenly Aayla cleared her throat. Everyone looked up at her.

"If you all are done bickering, then perhaps, we can get on with it." She looked over at Kal and Vau. "We've come here, as keepers of the peace, looking to help save a planet from certain death. But, we need your help. All of you." She gave a nervous glance over at Matt and Kirsty. "Yes. We've lost some dear friends and comrades. But giving up now would not serve their legacies well. They would expect you to stand up and help those in need. Yes, we'll all… most of us will die trying."

She sighed. "But it will be for a worthy cause. The same cause your brothers died for. So I ask… will you help us?"

There was silence. Blasters were lowered. Fists were put down and opened into hands. Kal just nodded slowly. "What can we do?" he asked, extending his hand out. Matt reached out and the two shook.

Matt walked out through the doorway, Aayla on his heels. "What's our next move?"

"Simple. I've got to find a bounty hunter."

"Where do you plan on looking?"

"It's not about looking. I know where to find her."

Aayla looked at him, confused. "Matt. I just got a transmission." Kirsty said from behind. Matt nodded, and she tossed him a recorded holo-gram. At that moment, his eyes widened with horror. It was a dark figure, in a black robe, cloak concealing their face. But the voice was still the same.

"It's been a while, guys. I have a surprise for you all." Suddenly lights flashed on and AJ stood, tied, hanging from the ceiling. Matt just stared. No words could describe his emotions at that moment, as his arch enemy sneered from under his cloak.

Matt rushed through the Mandalorian star fighter, flipping switches and activating systems, Kirsty and Aayla on his heels again. "You don't even know where to find them!"

"You need to calm down."

"I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"I thought he was in custody!"

"You merely wounded him, Kirsty."

"Matt, please. This is the path to fear, and anger."

"I am calm." He hissed, flipping another switch. "Obviously." Kirsty muttered. "Off the ship. I'll contact you when I've arrived."

"Arrive where?"

"Kamino."

Both girls just stared. "Why would they be on Kamino?"

"Easy place to set a trap. Keep your comms open."

"Be careful. He's out for blood."

"I will."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: A Reunion Of Sorts**

The black and gray clouds made it difficult to see anything, with the rain splattering it's self against the windshield of the one man fighter. Matt landed the ship on the closest landing pad in the city of Tipoca City, as the waves of the planet wide ocean crashed down around the landing pad.

Looking around from inside the ship, he spotted the one and only entrance that led into the small platform city for the pad. He pulled his cloak around him tightly and then he released the cockpit hatch and climbed out as the rain pelted him hard. Once his feet were on the slippery wet ground, the hatch closed again, in an attempt to keep the inside of the cockpit dry as much as possible.

Matt moved toward the door. There was no movement, no sounds, except for the loud, crashing waves of the ocean behind him. He waved his hand ever so slightly at the door, and it opened with a slight whistle.

Matt moved inside quickly, but as quietly as possible, as not to alert his old friend that he was here, even though he was sure that sensors had already picked up his ship. He lowered his cloak around his shoulders and looked around slowly, at the pure white corridor that he stood in.

It was rather creepy to say the least. He started his walk down the corridor, finding the only sound was the echoing squeaks of his wet boots on the floor. He spotted the first door in the corridor and moved over to it, hitting the controls for it. It slid open with no resistance, revealing a dark room inside.

Matt sighed, and closed his mind, attempting to detect anyone or anything that might be of danger to him inside. Suddenly there was a loud sonic sound, which caused Matt to buckle and fall to one knee, as he held his ears tightly. Suddenly the lights from both sides of the corridor began to shut off, one by one from the far ends and came closing in on him, until he was left in pure darkness.

He took his hands off his ears, realizing the sound had ceased, and felt for his light saber. He pulled out the hilt and ignited the blue blade, casing a blue glow over the darkness around him. "You came alone, Matt? I didn't think you were foolish enough to do that. You were always about friends – together forever – remember?"

"Blazer, you chose your path. It was a path I could not follow."

"Don't give me that Jedi bullshit." Matt held the blade in front of himself, lighting the path into the dark room. "You betrayed me." Blazer's voice continued.

Matt shook his head. "You did that to yourself. I didn't want to fight you. I still don't."

"That's exactly why She's going to watch you die."

Suddenly the lights in the room flashed on. Matt switched off his light saber, and glanced around, only to switch it back on and move into a defensive stance when he saw all the battle droids and super battle droids that had him surrounded.

Kirsty just stood, staring up at the sky, anxious. She felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked over at Scorch, who just nodded to her and gave her a soft smile. "You okay?" He asked her. She nodded. Then she shook her head. "No. No, I'm not. He's in trouble, I can feel it. But I am powerless to do anything about it."

Scorch looked up at the sky with her, and then pulled her into a hug. "No one is ever powerless to do something. The only thing that makes them powerless is their mind." She looked up at him, and suddenly she understood, and a smile spread across her face – though she knew it wasn't a time to smile.

She barreled into the small house and looked over at Kal. "I believe Matt's in trouble."

He looked over at her and suddenly he nodded.

All around him, the battle droids slowly came to life, as the racks they were hanging on, started to move toward the ground, releasing them. Seconds later, they began to unfold themselves and stand up straight, with each one removing a blaster from it's back.

There had to be hundreds of them. And then the super battle droids began to come alive. And in moments, close to 500 droids were aiming their weapons at Matt. But none fired upon him. Not yet.

"I shall give you one last chance, as I am in such a gracious mood. Surrender and I shall show you some… mercy."

"I'm going to give YOU one last chance. Release AJ, and you can take me instead."

There was silence. Suddenly, up in a small observance room about 20 feet above him was AJ, hanging from the ceiling. A cloaked figure stood behind her, and whispered something to her, before removing the tape from her mouth suddenly.

She let out a scream. "Matt! Run! Get out!"

Suddenly there was a suctioning sound as the blast door closed behind him. He was sealed in. "AJ! Hang on!"

He flinched. Stupid choice of words.

"Are you prepared to watch your friend and comrade die in front of you?" Blazer hissed at AJ. She looked over at him and spat in his face. He reached up with a gloved hand, and wiped off the saliva before backhanding her in the face. He moved over to the control console and hit a button. "Destroy him." He whispered.

The droids reared up, their blasters and cannon arms prepping for fire. Matt spun his blade around him, not to show off, but more of a prep for himself. He probably wasn't going to make it out of this alive. But he would die trying at least. And then it started.

The droids opened fired and Matt's blade was barely a visible faded flash of blue as he moved around, letting his body be directed by the power of the force. Thousands of blaster bolts deflected off his blade in only a minute, and suddenly he leapt to the right, taking down 3 droids and kicking down two more as he flipped through the air.

Time seemed to slow down around him, and he ducked, his blade flying up behind him and deflecting two bolts, taking out one droid, before coming back up into a supine position, bringing his blade back around, and slicing an SBD directly in half. From there, he continued the dance of deflecting bolts. Only 1/10th of the droids were down thus far though.

He scanned the room quickly and leapt over a group of droids, and ducked behind a pile of crates. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, let his exhaustion out as quickly as possible. He'd never make it out alive if he got tired too fast.

There was a sickening laugh from above, followed by some heavy clapping of gloved hands. "Well done! Well done indeed!" Matt looked out from behind the crates and saw the droids standing by, but making no move to attack. Matt moved out from behind the crates and looked up at Blazer and AJ. Blazer looked over at AJ. "Didn't he do great?" AJ just glared. "Yeah, now imagine your face getting the brunt of that, mate."

He turned and glared down at Matt. "Enough games!" He held up his gloved hand, when suddenly there was a rumble. Matt clipped his hilt to his belt and just stood staring up at Blazer. "Indeed. Enough games." Suddenly the blast door exploded, and blaster fire erupted from outside the door, and from the droids.

Matt held up his hands and a burst of energy began to form with-in them. He fired the energy at the windows of the observance room above him. The glass shattered and Matt leapt upwards with the force, and landed on the edge of the window seal. AJ just stared at him. Matt didn't even hesitate. The light saber was flashed on, cutting her down from the ceiling. "You okay?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"The son of a bitch is getting away." She said, taking off in the direction that Blazer had seemed to race off in. "AJ, wait!" Matt screamed, racing after her.

At the same time, down below in the room, The Commandos – Scorch and Boss blasted battle droids left and right. Fixer was getting into fist fights with the damn things. Aayla dropped into the fight, light saber flashing as she deflected blaster bolts from all around her.

Kirsty rushed past Aayla, and fired up a cable launcher and pulled herself up into the observance room, just as Matt raced off after AJ. "Matt! AJ! WAIT!" She screamed as she ran after them.

As AJ raced down the corridor, she could hear the familiar clanging, when suddenly she rounded a corner and stopped acutely as two droidikas aimed their twin blaster cannons at her. She took a step back, as Matt came sliding in.

He ducked and rolled, sliding onto his back as he ignited his light saber, and spinning himself in a complete 360, cutting through both droids. They fell forward on their optical eye sockets, as Matt jumped to his feet in one swift movement.

"Guys, wait!" Kirsty hissed, coming around the corner. Matt and AJ stepped back past her, staring intensely at something. Kirsty glanced around the corner into a docking bay, where two AT-ST walkers were standing, aiming their weapons at the three, with Blazer in between the two walkers, face shielded by his cloak.

"You won't make it out of this one…"

Matt just stepped forward, arms held out partially, summoning the force. He pushed his arms forward, and suddenly both AT-STs began to wobble. Blazer just glared at Him. "Show me what you got…"

Matt closed his eyes, and waved his hands upward, sending both AT-STs into the air. He began to squeeze his hands shut, slowly, little by little, and, as even Blazer stared in awe, the AT-STs began to compact themselves into smaller and smaller balls of carbon and metal. Matt opened his hands and pushed his hands down, sending the balls of metal into the floor on either side of Blazer.

Matt opened his eyes and glared at Blazer. "Like you said, enough games."

Blazer took out two hilts and ignited them – both glowing blood red. "Fine. I'll take you down myself. I almost did it once before, and I'll finish it this time."

Suddenly AJ appeared on Matt's right side. Kirsty on his left. Matt just nodded. "Show us what you got."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Revelations**

Blazer charged, running at full speed toward them. Matt held up his light saber in a defensive stance, standing in front of the girls to protect them from his deadly blades. With a short battle cry, Blazer swung his blades at Matt, who angled his blade in both of the blood reds, locking all three blade together with a crackle. Blazer pushed into Matt's blade lock and snarled. Matt just stared, emotionless, pushing back.

Suddenly Blazer went flying backwards, and crashed into a wall behind him. Matt rushed forward and waved his hand toward Blazer, sending him flying into the ceiling only to crash down to the floor again. Matt stood and watched him, not saying a word. Blazer slowly got to his feet, already exhausted from being tossed like a rag-doll.

He just smirked at Matt and pointed on his hilts at him. "I'm going to kill you." He said slowly, with a slight amusement in his voice. "Oh, really?" He looked over and saw Kirsty standing right next to him. She pulled back her left arm and punched him in the face, sending him stumbling backwards as he fumbled for his nose, which was now spilling blood from it like a fountain.

Matt just stared, unmoving, uncaring. Suddenly Blazer began to laugh. Slowly at first, but then he became hysterical. "You have no idea what is going on do you, Matt? Kirsty. AJ. You are all clueless!" He let out a loud cackling laugh. "He was right about you. You might be able to save them. But with that much power, he also said you'll probably kill yourself trying to save them."

Matt looked over at Kirsty, then AJ, who looked at him and then they all stared at Blazer. "What the fuck are you talkin' 'bout mate?" AJ questioned, walking over to him. "You'll see. The message has already been transmitted. And then you'll go. And when you do…" he giggled.

Suddenly he ignited his blades and swung them around in his hands.

"You're already dead."

Suddenly AJ brought her foot up and placed it hard into his face, knocking him to the ground, flat on his back, letting out a yelp as he fell.

Kirsty walked over and aimed her blaster at him, as AJ held him to the floor with her foot on his throat. "What do you mean, saving them? Who? And what transmission?" Kirsty asked. He just stared up at her, and glared. "See you in hell."

He brought up one of the hilts and pressed it to his chest. Before any of them could react, he ignited it, sending the blade directly into himself. He gasped once, and then fell silent. AJ watched the last bit of life drain from his eyes.

At that exact moment, all of their comm-links went off. They all answered, and a hologram of Lara appeared. "Matt! Kirsty! Someone! If you are receiving this message, then you need to listen. I only have seconds. They are taking over the earth. The empire, or whatever we call them – the bad guys with the white armor and big space ships are here. You have to help us!" She looked around her surroundings and suddenly she let out a yell; "NO!" She drew a pistol and open fired on something not in the hologram's radius, before the message went dead.

AJ shifted her eyes from Kirsty to Matt, and then to her comm-link which was silent now. "It… it's worse then I thought."

"Matt… it's not your fault."

"No. I allowed them access to our planet. And now, thousands are dead, hundreds more are wounded, and everyone else is slaves or fugitives, like Lara."

He looked up at both of them. "I need to fix this."

"How? The last time you opened the portal to let Lara go back, you were almost taken over by the dark side!"

Matt was silent. He looked at both of them once more. "Then, I'm going to have to count on you guys to go and save Earth if I don't make it through with you."

"Oh, hell no!" Kirsty hissed. Matt gave her a look. She just glared. "You can not possibly expect us to go save the world on our own. When have we ever done that without you?"

"Plenty of times."

"Done what plenty of times?"

They all turned to Aayla, who was standing in the doorway, confused. "Droids are taken care of."

"Fabulous. I have to open the portal again."

"What? Why?"

Matt tossed her his comm-link, which, as she caught it, activated the transmission recording. As she watched Lara plead for help, Kirsty couldn't help but notice that her eyes were suddenly glaring – at what was a mystery to her. "You are not opening that portal." She said as it ended. They all looked at Aayla, who tossed Matt's comm back to him, and he put it in it's pouch on his belt.

"I beg to differ." Matt said. Aayla walked up to him, and took his hand in hers. "You… are not opening that portal. We'll find another way to get back to your planet."

"Like what? How do you suggest we do that without the portal?"

Aayla turned away from him suddenly, releasing his hand. "I don't know!" She said, taking a few steps away from him. Matt looked over his shoulder and nodded to AJ, before looking at Kirsty. "Call Kal. Tell him to get the boys ready. Gather everything they have. Because until Earth is free, none of you can come back."

Kirsty nodded and turned away with her comm-link.

Matt stood at the window, staring out at the raging seas of Kamino. The room was quiet, bright and empty. The raging sea outside wasn't audible, nor was the storms that caused that sea to rage. But for some reason, every lightning flash, which was always followed by a loud clap of thunder, was completely audible to Matt at that moment. He wasn't trying to hear it though. Something in him was making him hear it.

_What are you doing?_

_Saving the planet. My planet._

_Is it the planet, or something else?_

_What do you mean? The planet is my home. It's where I come from. The people there are my people. They are the last thing I can actually call mine._

_Yours? You don't own them._

_Of course not. Don't be foolish. But they need me, as I need them._

_They don't need you. What are you really doing it for?_

_I already told you. To save what I lost a long time ago…_

He suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder and he froze. "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." AJ said.

Matt nodded slowly. "It's fine. What's up?"

"I need to know – are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You are about to open the portal."

Matt gave her a questioning look. "Your point?"

"Simple. You might not survive. That fact, while brave, doesn't sit well with me."

"Well, I'm truly sorry about that. But I'm not about to let Lara sit over there and fight a war she'll never win on her own."

"And you think sending us in is going to help?"

"Yes. You know more about how to stop them then she does."

"Not true. Kirsty knows more then I do. What happens if she goes down? You aren't around, and I'm willing to fight, but I can't fight an entire war by myself."

"We're not going in alone. Kal and Vau are coming with the Nulls and Commandos. Aayla's also coming with us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. We don't even know for sure that I'll be killed during the process. In case you've forgotten, Blazer talked a lot of shit, but none of it really had any truth to it."

"True as that may be, Sidious also said he owned you when you opened that first portal up."

"That's what the data pad said. Not him."

"Always the optimist, ain't ya?"

"No. I just don't believe in all that prophesy shit."

"You believe in the force?"

Matt turned and looked at her, and then waved his hand slowly. A strand of her hair was pulled back behind her left ear. "Of course. That has nothing to do with prophesies and such."

"It did in the movies. It took someone good to turn bad to defeat the evil, and bring balance to the force."

Matt just smiled. "If that's the case, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right next to you the whole time."

AJ just nodded slowly. "Let's hope so. We'll need for then just one Jedi on our team for this one."

The door slid open and Scorch peered inside. "Commander. Ajmina. They're here."

Matt and AJ stepped out into the main meeting room and found Kal, Vau, the remaining Nulls – Ordo, Mereel and Prudii, along with Aayla, Kirsty, and Delta Squad.

Kal walked over to Matt and placed a hand on his shoulder. From the look in his eyes, Matt guessed that Aayla and Kirsty had told him what almost occurred last time. "Son, I'm sorry about what happened before. None of this is your fault. " He gave a glance to Aayla and Kirsty, who just gave him a look back.

"With that said," He looked back at Matt. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Matt looked at Kal, then around at everyone else, and then nodded. "I'm prepared to do what must be done. Let's leave it at that, shall we?"

Kal nodded slowly, and patted Matt's shoulder before walking over to a chair and sitting down. Matt swallowed slowly. "I'm not good at last words. Hopefully, that's not what these are." He said, slowly thinking. Then he looked up and looked each of them in the eye, one by one. "I'm sure there has been and will be more times when your faith will be shaken, or even lost. But you have to stand up and take back what's been taken." He looked down at the floor for a moment, and murmured; "You have to be unstoppable."

"Get ready." He said finally.

Everyone who was sitting down, stood, with their packs and weapons. Matt closed his eyes. It was quiet for the first minute, as he extended his hands out in front of him. Suddenly though, the lights flickered off and on around them, before eventually leaving them in complete darkness. Matt acutely inhaled sharply, and the roof was suddenly tore away from over their heads. The storm raged out of control overhead, and the heavy rain began to pelt them madly.

Behind Matt, a strange darkness appeared, before slowly turning a bluish glow. Matt began to whimper in pain. From what, no one knew. "GO!" He shouted over the thunder. Kal waved the Nulls and Commandos into the portal. Matt dropped to his knees, shaking violently.

"I can't do this."

Vau looked over at Aayla. "You get your shebs in that portal. NOW!"

AJ rushed over and grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her over to the portal, and Kirsty just stared at Matt, a tear running off her cheek. As soon as Aayla was through, AJ ran over and grabbed Kirsty, but stopped and looked at Matt. He was crying. She shut her eyes and pulled on her helmet. There would be none of that for her. Not now. Not ever. She pulled Kirsty over and Vau followed them into the Portal, where they vanished with Kal.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: You Are Not God**

Kirsty opened her eyes and saw darkness straight ahead of her. Seconds later, she began to make out shapes – clouds. Dark, black and gray clouds. She sat up and suddenly felt nauseous. She put her head down between her legs, breathing slowly. In and out. Suddenly the ground shook with might, and she forced herself up and saw a squad of TIE fighters fly overhead.

She felt her heart rate increase. She also felt a cold shiver roll down her back, and so she hugged herself, and realized she was damp all over. She felt down on her hip and pulled her blaster, and looked around more.

"AJ? Kal? Ordo?..."

No response. Her hands began to tremble. "Scorch?" She screamed. _No. Gotta keep a cool head._ She took a long, deep breath and closed her eyes. She was back on earth. Which meant that Matt has successfully opened the portal again. She took note of her surroundings. She was standing on a rooftop. It was flat, with the lack of anything else except for an A/C unit. She saw in the distance, smoke. Lots of it. Fires. People screaming, alarms blaring throughout the city. Buildings were on fire, and crashing down as the foundation under them gave away.

She had to find Lara. And fast.

AJ blinked slowly, and waited a moment, listening for something… anything. Then she realized that her sound filtering system in her helmet was active on full blast. She blinked at her HUD, and accessed the menu, and blinked several more times, before finally switching it off. And suddenly she heard the voices. Filtered like hers would be if she spoke through her helmet.

"Where do you think she came from?"

"Well, the Emperor said that once the Jedi opened the portals, they'd stay open for a short period."

"Yeah, about 12 standard hours, moron. Just long enough for us to get our forces through."

"Hey, you two! Shut up and pay attention. The hunter could wake at any moment."

Suddenly AJ stood up and her HUD cleared it's self and she saw all three storm troopers clearly. "Oh, shit!" One screamed. He rushed toward her, and AJ brought her left foot up and kicked him in his helmet, sending him backwards. The other two drew their blasters, but it was far too late, as AJ activated her flame thrower, sending both of them up into a pile of molted armor and burnt flesh.

"Indeed." She muttered, glancing around. She looked over at a railing and walked over to it. A rushing sound filled her ears and she looked over the edge and saw a massive waterfall under her. "Fabulous." She muttered.

Lightning flashed overhead, and was followed closely by a loud clap of thunder. Kal stood, staring up at the dark sky of this planet called earth. It wasn't too far off from some of the other planets he'd visited in his lifetime. The only difference was that this planet was not part of his realm. This was not his universe. And this was very apparent, judging from the very unpractical choices of vehicles he'd seen burning thus far.

He moved through the ally-way, passing an older homeless man, sitting next to a burning barrel. The man was barely moving and Kal was suddenly furious with what was happening. The Imperial scum was destroying a planet that seemed to have no clue what was happening, other then maybe someone had developed some new technology and was now using it to destroy the entire planet slowly.

As he approached the end of the ally-way, which entered onto what appeared to be a street, he heard the faint sound of an engine. He stopped at the end, when suddenly a being sped by on some sort of motorbike. Seconds later, two speeder bikes flew by, carrying a storm trooper on each one.

Kal stepped out and stared after them, feeling useless that he couldn't help the poor soul on the motorbike. He knew the person would be killed in a little while. No one could escape the empire, unless you cut it's head off permanently. Which is what he thought those outcasts did already.

Kal sighed and looked down at the ground. When he did, he couldn't help but notice all the strange red dots that were covering his chest. He froze and looked up slowly and saw about five storm troopers which had surrounded him. _Shabla. I revealed myself too soon. Shoulda' stayed undercover until I found the boys._

"Sergeant Kal Skirata, you are wanted for treason by the Emperor."

_How do they know it's me? This isn't Coruscant…_

"Who the hell is Sergeant Kal Skirata, and who the hell are you, nerf herder?"

"Alright, Skirata. We can play it the hard way…"

Suddenly the Captain went down as a blaster bolt struck his bucket, shattering it. At that moment, the other four troopers spun around, only to have rounds put into their buckets and armor as well. They all fell at Kal's feet.

Moments later, Kal watched Ordo, Mereel, and Delta Squad walk down from sniping positions on a rooftop only about 100 yards away. "Sarg." Ordo said, giving Kal a nod. Kal nodded back. "Ord'ika."

"So this is it, eh? This is their galaxy. Their… Earth." Scorch murmured. "Indeed it is!" They all turned and found Vau and Prudii standing in the ally-way, blaster rifles in hand. Kal walked over. "Any sign of the Twi'lek, or the outcasts?"

Vau shook his head. _Negative. Damn. _"What about…"

Vau once again shook his head. _The poor kid didn't make it, then. _"What's the plan, boss men?" Scorch asked. Fixer gave him a stare, before putting on his helmet. Scorch shrugged. "Just kind of bored, standing around is all…"

"Scorch. Relax." Boss said. Vau nodded to Kal. "We should find the Jedi and the two outcasts."

Kal nodded slowly in agreement. "We find the three female companions of ours and then figure out what our target is to stop this madness. Let's head out!"

"Should we split up?" Boss asked.

Kal shook his head. "I don't think it's necessary. I get a feeling that those three will find us, regardless."

_Imperial Star Destroyer 'Solitude' – 4 Hours After The Group Returned To Earth_

Imperial General Zen Asis stood staring out at the wreaked planet that these useless beings called Earth. "Do we have exact locations as to where the portal openings were?" Zen asked his crew. "Not exact coordinates. But a general area. There were four openings." The operator pointed the locations out on a holographic map. Zen glared at the map. "And the teams we sent out have yet to report back?"

"We lost contact with teams one and three. Two and four found nothing."

"Well, I want walkers posted in a perimeter around all four locations, give them a 5 mile range. Nothing in or out, unless they are dead. Any trouble comes up, alert me at once!"

Zen turned and stormed out of the bridge. Moving down the corridor, he stepped onto a turbo-lift which took him down several levels, until it stopped and he stepped out into a large apartment size space, which was his. He locked down the turbo-lift and made his way over to a hologram projector.

It activated and a hooded figure appeared. "Lord Revan. We are tracking them now. We should have results in a few standard hours."

The figure looked up, the hood dropping down to reveal a sidious looking mask. "Good, General. Bring the three human outcasts to me. Kill the rest."

Zen bowed. "It will be done, my lord."

The hologram vanished and for a split second, Zen felt a rush of fear and despair deep in his soul.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Deus Ex Machina**

AJ walked down the long bridge and then stopped as she looked down the long drop to the grassy bottom. She saw a blue figure laying on the ground, unmoving. She blinked several times, enhancing her vision and zooming in on the figure. "Secura…" AJ looked around, and then flipped on a control pad on her wrist, activating her jetpack. She hovered down to the Jedi slowly. Once she had all feet on the ground she stopped and pulled the Jedi onto her back, and checked for a pulse.

At least Secura was alive. She reached over, and patted her shoulder. No response. "Great. How am I going to get through this one?" She asked out loud. "Well, it's simple. You have to believe." AJ looked down at the Twi'lek and grinned. "It's about time, Secura."

"Any sign of the others?" Aayla asked, sitting up. AJ shook her head. "You're the first I've found."

Aayla suddenly looked saddened. "And no sign of Matt." She said, reading what the Jedi was wondering. Aayla just nodded slowly. "It's time, then, to be unstoppable, is it?"

AJ nodded. "Indeed it is." She held out her hand for the Jedi, who looked up at her, and then took it graciously.

The rain was coming down hard now. Kirsty walked through the abandoned street, wishing for even an imperial trooper to appear. At least then she'd know she was getting close to something. But not even an imperial showed. So she walked. As she walked, she noticed a flicker of light, coming from a broken store window. She moved over to it discreetly, unsure if it was some kind of trap. As she neared, she saw a TV, with something showing on it.

"As you can see, this is an incredible sight! George Lucas has done something incredible!"

Kirsty looked closer at the TV and gasped. It shouldn't have been a surprise to her. After all, she knew what had happened long before she saw this. "Folks, if you are just tuning in, we are showing you the first official actual functioning Imperial Star Destroyer, developed for the Star Wars films by George Lucas. It's…"

The reporter put a finger to her ear. "Wait. We're getting reports of three other ISDs."

The camera spun around, where there were a platoon of Storm Troopers rushing toward them. "Oh, god! Look! It's actual Imperial soldiers!"

Suddenly blaster fire opened and the camera hit the ground hard. Moments later, as the blaster fire stopped, there was white foot plates in front of the camera. Suddenly the screen goes black.

Everything was quiet around Kirsty. She didn't breath as she stared at the blank screen. Everything that had happened up to this point – a random sequence of events – random and extremely bizarre events – had caused this. The stupid forum about forums. Meeting Matt and all of her friends from his forum. Getting dragged into that stupid basement. That stupid portal.

It wasn't fair. That stupid forum caused Matt to die. Caused everyone she ever loved to die. Her family. Friends. Enemies. She would never have wished this on anyone. But it was happening. And at that moment, she felt as if there was nothing she could do to stop it. And yet, she remembered Matt's final words. _"You have to be unstoppable."_

And so she would be. She pulled her blaster slowly up in front of her, as the filtered voice said, "Hands up, Rebel."

She looked down at the blaster. _Unstoppable. _She acutely turned, and pulled the trigger. There was the sound of armor being burned and the yelp from the storm trooper who went down to the ground. Kirsty walked over and looked down at the trooper, or in truth, his helmet. She glared. "I'm so tired of you bucket heads." She pointed her blaster at his head and fired once and then turned and continued her walk down the road.

There was one blaster shot. Ordo had heard it plain as day. And so did everyone else in their group. Then followed one more. As they all took defensive positions, Scorch almost dropped a grenade as Kirsty walked over the hill, blaster hanging from her hand, a flat out determined face. The woman was on a mission. And that was what worried Ordo. Women could be completely unpredictable. He'd learned that the hard way a few times.

But when that woman just lost a good friend whom sacrificed himself for the good, then you had a renegade. Ordo figured that was why Kal and Vau didn't actually holster their weapons right away. _Unpredictability. _Scorch rushed over to her. Ordo watched them both closely as they embraced each other.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. She looked up at him and nodded. "I'll be fine physically. Psychologically, I'll never know."

He pulled her into his arms. "Alright, well, let's get you some place safe."

She suddenly pulled away from him. "What? NO. We made a promise to Matt. You remember what he said to us, right?"

"Yeah, Kay. I do. But, now you need rest."

"I'll rest when my planet is free again!"

Suddenly there was a rumble. Everyone froze. "What… in death's name was that?" Boss hissed. "Kay, get behind me." Scorch said, pulling her there, not in the mood to wait. Another rumble followed. And another. "That's not a great sound."

"Not for us." Vau muttered. Suddenly AT-ST walkers stormed up the path that Kirsty had come from. "RUN!" Kal shouted. The group fired at the walkers, while starting to retreat quickly. But that was made extremely difficult due to the gunner ship overhead, which had troops deploying themselves from it right down on top of them. Scorch turned and slammed the butt of his rifle into the helmet of a Storm trooper, and blasted another who dropped down in place of the first one.

"We've got problems!" Vau shouted to Kal, whom just turned and blasted a trooper in the chest. "I know." He muttered. "What kind of problems?" Fixer asked, rushing up beside them. Vau just nudged his head toward three more gunner ships heading their way. "Oh." Fixer mumbled. _Could sure use Sev right now…_ He thought to himself. He immediately dismissed the thought. He could not be distracted right now. "Boss, Scorch. Double A rounds."

"Kay, get to cover."

Kirsty just blasted a trooper in response. Scorch turned away and made an annoyed sound from behind his helmet as he loaded his anti-armor rounds. Several troopers rushed up and scorch fired off an AA round, sending them both up 10 feet into the air. "Sarg. I forgot how fun that was."

"Shab…"

"Kal!"

"Skirata!"

"Sarg!"

They all turned as a dozen storm troopers knocked him down, and knocked him unconscious. "Don't move, rebel scum!" One said, aiming a blaster pistol at Vau. There was a shriek from behind, and Scorch turned and saw several Jet troopers cuffing Kirsty from behind.

"Kay! NO!" Scorch screamed, aiming his blaster. But he couldn't fire, without taking the chance of hitting Kay. He gritted his teeth and was then pushed to the ground by two troopers from behind. He fell to his knees. Ordo, Mereel, and Prudii were still going about 10 feet away, and suddenly an AT-ST was looming over them, aiming it's large cannons at the three of them as they went hand to hand with several troopers.

Boss sighed, and threw down his DeeCee on the ground. They were completely surrounded. No way out of this one.

Aayla stood, leaning against a tree, as AJ stood, peering out from behind a tree just a few feet ahead of her. "I feel helpless." AJ muttered. Aayla put her hand on her light saber hilt, for unknown reasons. She remembered someone doing that, but she couldn't remember who exactly. She did remember that they did that when they knew they were going to have to do something that would put everyone in danger, but was for the good of something bigger then anyone or anything.

"At the moment, yes. You are helpless. But this is the only way we can discover whom is leading this assault on your planet."

AJ nodded slowly and put her helmet back on. "Then, for all our sakes, I hope it works. Let's go rescue our friends."

The storm trooper shoved Kirsty up into the small shuttle, while everyone else was shoved onto a larger transport. Kirsty sat down in the seat that was obviously hers – the one behind the electric field bars. "Mind explaining why I'm being secluded from my group?" She asked the captain.

He just looked over at her. "Orders. I don't question them."

"Of course you don't… who are the orders from?"

"General Asis."

"And who's in charge of _him_?"

"I have no idea."

"Of course you don't… what the fuck do you know?"

"A lot more then you do at this point, apparently." He turned away from her and started up the shuttle. "Now, shut up and stay that way unless spoken to."

Kirsty sat back and just glared at the captain as two Storm troopers took position in front of her, blaster rifles held in a guarding position.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The New Guy**

Kirsty sat in the dark chamber that she had been shoved into by the troopers. There was a dim light overhead, but she couldn't have cared less about the light. A million thoughts were floating through her mind. _Where the hell is Matt? What happened to him? Where is AJ? Aayla?_ Of course none of those questions were helping her stay calm. She stood up and walked in a complete circle, scoping out the parameter of the cell. It was locked up tight. No way she was getting out.

She glanced around, and walked over to the back wall and examined it. Maybe… She pushed on the wall, hoping for some kind of Indiana Jones effect. But nothing happened. And yet… she peered closer to the wall, as a strange marking caught her eye. Flashbacks of several pervious classes she'd taken at the university in London drew across her mind. She knew that symbol. She stepped back and her eyes grew wide.

The entire wall was covered in the markings. She looked around and snatched up a small rock. It would have to do. At least now she had something to do to pass the time.

His boots made a clanging sound against the steel floor that was beneath them. Every soldier that he passed, turned away, avoiding eye contact. Even the droids stepped aside, not wanting to become scrap metal. The door slid open, and Zen looked up from his data pad. Immediately, he was on his feet, saluting.

"At ease, General." The voice said. Zen put his hands down next to his sides, and remained standing. "What can I do for you, Lord Revan?" He asked. The tall, masked figure looked down at Zen. "Have you found them?"

"We've captured a small group. Only one of the human outcasts were with them. The rest… were average."

"And what is _their_ status?"

"They are being held in the temple in the country of China and are to be put to death in…" Zen looked at his chronometer, "one standard hour, Lord Revan."

Revan looked around, and then looked back at Zen. "General, remove them from the picture immediately. I can not afford to have them attempting an escape. With the other Jedi and the two other outcasts, they will surely try."

"As you wish my Lord…" Zen swallowed. Hard. Revan turned and started to walk out, but stopped suddenly in the door way. "And inform me when you have talked to the outcast in custody. I want to know what she knows."

Zen nodded quickly. "Yes, my Lord." Revan left the room, leaving Zen standing there, to hear the clanking of his boots as he moved down the hall. He drew his comm link. "Meet me by the shuttle. We're going to the temple. Have a platoon waiting on the ground."

AJ checked her chronometer. Any second now…

An imperial pilot walked down the boarding ramp of the small imperial shuttle, and did a data test on the landing gears. AJ watched for a moment. The pilot nodded to himself. "Ship checks out."

"Good." Aayla nodded to AJ. "Let's hitch a ride, shall we?"

The two females raced down as soon as the pilot entered the ship, and as the ramp began to withdraw, the two climbed inside and took cover inside a small utility room.

She had something. But Kirsty wasn't sure exactly what it was. She had the entire alphabet decoded. She began to scratch into the wall, names as she proceeded to decode the wall now…

**Kirsty Ann Harrington**

_**Forum Conference**_

_**Friends…**_

_**Basement…**_

_**Portal.**_

_**Galaxy Far, Far Away.**_

She examined the paragraph she'd just written out.

_You will attend a forum conference, where you will run into some good friends from other parts of the world. You and your group will then get stuck on an elevator, before being moved to the basement. Then, you will discover your destiny as your friends open the portal, which will transfer you to a galaxy far, far away._

Kirsty felt the breath leave her lungs, and suddenly she didn't draw anymore in. She didn't have much time.

"Sarg…"

Kal looked over at Fixer, whom was locked up in a small dirty space surrounded by electric energy fields all by himself, as were they all. "Yes, Fixer?"

"This is the end, isn't it?"

"Son, listen to me. I've been in tight situations, similar to this. I'm still here, am I not?"

"Tight situations with the empire, on an unknown planet?" Scorch asked. Kal blinked. The commando had a point, even thought it had been an honest question.

"Boys, just trust me. We'll get out of this."

The shuttle set down directly outside the temple, and AJ sat, waiting, as Aayla sat, her eyes closed. AJ almost rolled her eyes behind her helmet. But she didn't. She knew that Secura was doing her thing, to see if anyone was still in the ship and how they would make it to the holding cells undetected.

Aayla opened her eyes and opened the door and got out of the ship. AJ quickly followed her, and found herself standing next to Aayla, in the middle of a jungle setting. "Where the hell are we?" AJ muttered to herself. However, no one had noticed them quite yet. There were a few engineers, technicians, pilots, and several dozen troopers all around. "Follow me." Aayla said softly, and moved around to the back of the ship and took cover.

The ship hovered overhead for about 2 minutes before the pilot set it down. Zen marched down the dark crumbling corridor, flanked by ten storm troopers. The imperial guard standing by the door, turned to them, and Zen waved his hand at the door. "Open it." The door opened with a creak and suddenly the Storm Troopers moved in, aiming their blasters at Kal, Fixer, Prudii, Mereel, Ordo, Boss, Vau, and Scorch. Kal glared. "Soldiers. You don't have to do this."

"Shut it, Skirata!" Zen hissed, walking into the large room where they would all be put to death. "I have strict orders to put you all to death." Zen waved his hand to the Troopers, who raised their weapons to firing stances.

Suddenly there was a whooshing sound. Zen turned in surprise, as a blue Twi'lek hit the ground. There was a sudden flash of blue energy and it shot out in a shockwave format through the ground and sent everyone in the room flying in all directions. Aayla stood up and drew her light saber. Zen gasped. "Well, well. If it isn't an imperial commander."

"And if it isn't a Jedi. In fact, a Master no less."

Suddenly Zen froze as he felt the cold dura-carbon of a Westar blaster put to the back of his head. "Move, and I remove your head, Emp scum." AJ hissed. AJ looked around and Vau and Kal had taken charge, freeing the troopers of their blasters.

"Hands up!"

Aayla moved in close to Zen's face. "Your going to take me to the other human rebel. And then, your going to call off the attack on this planet." She glared into his eyes, causing him to slowly nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: I Know Where He Is**

Kirsty finished putting the last letter in place. She stood back, and smiled sadly. "I found you." There was shouting down the corridor. She moved to the door, and tried to peer out, unsuccessfully.

Suddenly the door was being unlocked. "We don't need you anymore." She heard someone say. Suddenly the door opened up wide and Kirsty stepped back, ready for anything. Suddenly an imperial commander fell face first in front of the door, unconscious. The familiar armor of a known bounty hunter stepped into view.

"AJ?"

"Kirsty. Glad to see your still alive. Come on. We've got to go. Ride is waiting."

Kirsty started for the door, but then stopped and turned to the wall. "I need to show you guys something."

AJ walked into the small room with her, followed by Aayla, Kal, and Vau. "I found him."

Vau cocked an eyebrow. "Found who?"

She shifted her eyes between them all. Then just said it. "Matt. I've found Matt."

"He's alive?" AJ exclaimed. Kirsty nodded. "If these are right…"

"Wait. Your putting your trust into some writing on an old stone wall?" Kal asked. Kirsty bit her bottom lip. "Yes. Kal. I am. It has predicted everything that's happened so far. For all of my friends and I."

Vau took a stroll over and read the engravings to himself. "All of this… happened?"

"Only the beginning of it. I believe the rest is what is to come."

They all stood, waiting, as Vau finished reading Matt's portion as to where he landed. He turned and nodded. "Well then. Let's go see if this is true." The group marched out of the holding cell and then left the temple.

The ship flew toward Australia, staying low under the long range sensors of the ISDs of the imperials. "Let's see. Coordinates place him… right over there." Kirsty pointed out on the holo map. Fixer looked at it, and nodded. "There's only one spot close to land there. Let's open it isn't a hot zone."

"Why would it be a hot zone?"

"I don't know. Just a feeling. Strap yourselves in." Fixer engaged the thrusters and the ship flew forward at a faster speed. Aayla sat in the back, with her eyes closed. Scorch glanced over at her, and then nudged Kirsty in the side. "Ow!" She hissed. "Sorry." Scorch murmured. "But I have to ask. What is she doing? I know it has to do with all that Jedi voodoo, but… it's weird."

"Scorch. Shut it." Ordo muttered. AJ stared out of the front viewport, her helmet off, her hair flowing out around her shoulders. "I don't see anything." She murmured. Boss started a system scan. "It's Awfully smoky down there."

"Just take us in." Vau muttered. Prudii clicked his tongue. "Perhaps we should repel in and check it out first before landing our only ride out of here down there."

"Too late." Fixer muttered. The ship was now engulfed in the smoky haze that covered the landing site. "Alright. Ordo, Mereel, Prudii. Check it out." Vau said. The three stood and waited as Fixer lowered the boarding ramp.

Zen Asis moved down the center walkway of the bridge of the ISD, where Revan stood, staring out over the planet Earth. "Lord Revan." Zen said, bowing to him. Revan turned slowly. "You have news?" Zen swallowed. "I do, my lord."

"Speak."

"It… the Jedi and Rebel attacked as we were in the process of removing the other rebels from the picture."

Revan said nothing. "Lord, I… I am so very sorry. They all escaped."

Revan turned away from Zen. "I am truly disappointed, General Asis." Zen put his head down. "However," He continued, "I know where they are going."

Zen looked up in surprise. "You… do?"

"Yes. The escape was expected. I specified the temple as the holding place for a specific reason. Now, the true trap will be executed. They won't escape this time."

The ground was wet and spongy under the Null troopers' boots. "Headlamps on." Ordo said. "Copy." The three Nulls moved out around the ship, listening for any strange sounds. Nothing happened.

"Wait. I'm picking up something…" Mereel murmured. "What is it?" Prudii asked. There was a pause. "I don't know. But it's big."

Suddenly there was a rumbling."Oh, Fierfek!"

Ordo turned and activated his group comm. "Evac the ship. Get out! NOW!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: The Eye Of The Krayt Dragon**

There was a loud roar, and the ground continued to rumble as Ordo kept screaming. Kirsty and AJ leapt out of the ship, with Aayla, Kal, Vau, and Delta hot on their heels. They raced away from the ship, when suddenly it was tore completely in half. Everyone turned on their spot lights from their helmets or other means of light and shined it on the massive Krayt dragon that stood, staring that them.

"There is no way Matt is here!" AJ muttered. The dragon let out a deafening roar, and everyone raised their weaponry, except for Aayla. "Don't shoot!" She said, waving her hands at them. No one lowered their weapons. She couldn't blame them. This thing was as big as an imperial cruiser.

Suddenly there was the sound of machinery. From behind them, four imperial dual legged walkers raced up and open fired on the dragon. "NO!" Aayla screamed. "It's time to go." AJ yelled. She turned and waved for them to follow her, only to see a cliff face. Above it, strange armored men were pouring down from it. And they were racing toward them.

"Oh, hell!"

Kirsty ran up next to her, and gritted her teeth. She could only hope this worked. She hadn't used her power in quite some time. She extended both arms out, like a sign telling the soldiers to stop in their tracks. But they didn't. And it wasn't actually meant as a sign anyhow.

Instead, the palms of her hands began to perspirate, just slightly at first, but then drops of water began to drip off them quickly. "Come on…" Kirsty made a fist with her right hand and then suddenly slammed it hard into the ground. A flood of water shot out and engulfed the oncoming platoons of soldiers. She stood and looked at her work, which was put aside as more soldiers poured down the cliff face. "This is not going to be pleasant." She muttered. Suddenly Kirsty went flying and landed on the ground. AJ turned and saw a cloaked figure coming in from behind the dark soldiers.

"We've got a problem! Secura!"

Aayla was already moving. She leapt through the air, and landed with her blade against a dark red one – the dark warrior's blade. The cloaked figure just smiled.

AJ dropped down next to Kirsty. "You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?"

Kirsty sat up and chuckled softly, "I did. This is a fight we're going to lose, if I do remember right."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" AJ muttered. She started to turn and stand up, but Kirsty reached out and grabbed her arm. "No. Ajmina. You can't."

"Why not?"

Aayla suddenly was lifted up into the air. The dark warrior waved one hand and threw her to the side, when suddenly there was a loud roar. AJ and Kirsty looked up and saw the Krayt dragon in full attack mode. The walkers were getting wreaked. Several soldiers ran up, and was holding someone in their grasp. The prisoner was unconscious with a hood over their head. Aayla sat up on her elbows, and gasped at the sight of them holding an unconscious prisoner.

She leapt to her feet, and called her light saber to her. The dark warrior lowered their cloak, and everyone gasped. The female warrior glared down at Aayla. "If I were you, I'd put down your weapons."

"Give me a good reason!" AJ screamed, ripping off her helmet and tucking it between her left arm while drawing one of her Westar blasters and aiming it at the warrior with her right hand. The female sighed, and walked over to the unconscious prisoner. She ripped off the hood and no one breathed.

Matt opened his eyes slowly, and looked up at them. The soldiers released him, as the warrior threw the hood away. "I think that gives you plenty of good reason. Now. My men will take your weapons and then you will all come with me. Or I destroy you all."

They were all on their knees. Soldiers had them surrounded. Kirsty sat talk on her knees, a blank expression on her face. Matt seemed drugged up. She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about the details of what he'd gone through. While the others didn't know, she did. She saw his entire journey on that wall in the temple.

What they had done to him was unforgivable. And inhuman as well. But she couldn't think about it. No. Instead, she had other worries on her mind. Such as Scorch, Boss, and Fixer. The Nulls. Kal and Vau.

"Scorch." She whispered. She heard him breathing behind her. "It's going to be alright, Kay." He replied. She blinked, fighting tears back. "I need you to know. I love you."

"Kirsty…"

"It's important that you know that. Please."

He sighed and nodded slowly. "I… love you too Kirsty."

"Matt. Are you with me?" She said glancing over at him. He looked like he was barely breathing. "Matt!" She hissed softly. "Kay… yeah…" He blinked several times. "Yeah. What's wrong?"

"She's going to kill them. Aayla included. She only has a need for you, me, and AJ."

He blinked again, and looked over at her, confused and looking nauseated. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I found a code. A code that I cracked. It shows us our entire future. Our journey here in the Star Wars Universe. Their future ends here. A great female warrior will kill them! We have to stop it from happening!"

"Bring me the three. Kill the others."

Kirsty was close to panicking now. "AJ!"

Several soldiers took positions behind Scorch, Fixer, and Boss first. "Oh God… no…"

Matt put his hands on the ground to steady himself. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily. Suddenly there was a massive shockwave of unseen energy, emerging from under Matt's hands, which sent every soldier standing in a 10 meter area flying. Matt opened his eyes, and looked over at Kirsty and AJ before nodding. _Go._

"Everyone, run!" AJ yelled. Delta, Nulls, Kal, Vau, and Aayla all stood and raced in the opposite direction of the Female warrior. Matt marched toward the warrior, who just stared, emotionless. "So he was right."

"Who, is _he_?"

"My master. The one who leads the planetary assault."

"What is his name?"

"His name… is Darth Revan."

"I thought Revan was long dead. He was part of the Mandalorian Wars in the old republic."

"Indeed. My master is not the same. He has brought new meaning to the name. He is one hundred times more powerful then even the emperor!"

"What is his objective?"

"To gain insight." The warrior looked down at him, her deep brown eyes looking into his green eyes. "And to consume your knowledge of the portals."

"Over my dead body!" AJ hissed. The female looked at AJ. "That is the idea, once he is finished consuming your knowledge and powers." She looked past AJ at Kirsty. "And you. He has much need for your knowledge of the hieroglyphics on the walls of the old China temple."

"But… sadly, he knows of your future. Which is why he fears your escape." She looked up at where the others were running for. "That is why, they can not live."

Matt and AJ turned around and saw the others. Behind them, the warrior raised her arms, and shoved them forwards, sending a massive force push. "NO!"

The small group was shoved forward, over the edge of an unseen cliff in front of them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: A Long Goodbye**

Kirsty rose up and raced forward. She met the warrior with a high kick to the face, which she merely side stepped, before grabbing Kirsty by the arm and throwing her 2 feet away. Matt and AJ raced down the field to the cliff edge. And eagle eyes view suddenly panned out, showing Aayla, Kal, and Scorch barely hanging on to whatever they managed to snag when shoved over.

"Guys! Quick!"

Behind them, Kirsty got to her feet, and rushed forward again, as the female turned. She slammed her fist into her face, knocking her backwards, but not off her feet. Kirsty quickly followed through with a kick to the female's face, this time knocking her to the ground.

"Get up!" She screamed to her.

Matt reached down, by had no chance of reaching Aayla. "Hang on." He said, extending his hand out. "Come on… connect to me…" He said. A scream from AJ came from his right. "Matt! I could use some help!"

"Right…" Matt felt a bead of sweat form on his right eyebrow, and it fell into his eye, and he blinked. He gritted his teeth. "Aayla!" She was reaching out with her hand at well.

Kirsty walked over and grabbed the female warrior by her tunic and yanked her to her feet. "I know what's about to happen. Your going to take your light saber out and I'm going to walk into it. That's what is supposed to happen!"

"The question is, do you have the guts to let it play out, or will you change and tempt fate?" Suddenly she smashed her face into Kirsty's, knocking her back. Kirsty shook her head and then kicked at the warrior's hands, as she went for her light saber.

Matt met Aayla's eyes, and she met his. Suddenly Aayla leapt up and he grabbed her hand and, with the help of the force, pulled her up to safety. "Matt! I'm losing Scorch!" Matt leapt up and ran over. "Grab ma legs and lower me down a bit." He dropped down and grabbed her feet, as she crawled forward, and then dropped down the cliff face just a bit.

The female jumped back, and suddenly there was a flash as Kirsty raced after her, only to stop as another flash went up, followed by a heavy crackle as two light sabers clashed together. Aayla glared at the warrior. "I hate flying."

She shoved her blade forward hard, throwing the female off balance, and then kicked her in the chest, knocking her back. Aayla moved forward, and shoved the tip of her blade forward, just centimeters from the female's face.

"Almost there…" AJ said. Suddenly she snagged Scorch's finger tips. "Alrig' ol' buddy. I'm gonna swing you and your gonna grab Kal."

"AJ…" Matt started. "Shut up." She said quickly. She let out a breath, blowing some of her hair from her eyes. "We can do this." She gripped his hand tightly, and then yanked her arm to the left, and then hard to the right. Matt heard a slight snap, followed by AJ whimpering. Scorch reached out, as did Kal, and they connected. "Up!" MATT! UP! FUCK!" She screamed. Matt stood and pulled hard. She came up, still hanging onto Scorch, who was still hanging onto Kal.

As Matt got to his feet, AJ laid on the ground, breathing heavily. "Fuck me." She muttered, grimacing. Matt knelt down. "I think you just popped it out of it's socket…" She rolled her eyes. "Of course I did."

"Not my fault you insist on playing hero." Matt said, waving to her for her arm. She raised it up slowly, and swore up a storm as she did so. He looked at her. "Hey AJ."

She looked at me. "What?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Not until you do what you gotta do."

"Well, can I?"

"Fuck, hurry up!"

"AJ…" Suddenly he grabbed her arm, and shoved it up and in. There was a slight pop, and she let out a scream and heavy derogatory language. Matt smirked. "I love you." He finished, giving her a soft smack on the back.

"Well. It appears that we now have our own prisoner." Kal said, amused. Matt and AJ stood and looked on as Aayla and Kirsty stood around the female warrior, questioning her intensely. "What's your name?"

"My name… is Jade. Kira Jade."

"What were you sent here to do?"

"I wasn't sent here to do anything! I was already here!" Kirsty looked up and exchanged glanced with AJ and Matt. "What do you mean?"

"I was recruited and trained in the ways of the force by a guy who goes by Darth Revan, as I said earlier."

"Do you know of a young woman, of British origins, like myself?"

"Yeah. She's always staging small traps and assaults on smaller bases of ours."

"Where would we find her?"

"Just wait for the first sign of an assault on our bases. She's not far behind."

"Where would we find Revan?"

"The main imperial star destroyer."

"Will you take us there?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"You catch on quick. Now stand up slowly…"

Matt walked over as AJ, Kal, Scorch, and Aayla had Kira take them to her small shuttle that was waiting. He pulled Kirsty to the side. "Mind telling me what you were going on about before?"

She looked at him and shrugged. "Whatcha talking about?"

"The code. Our futures."

"Oh… that."

"You knew all this was going to happen."

"Yes."

"Wasn't a question. Merely an observation. You know of everyone else's future. But what of your own?"

"I can take care of myself."

"Don't fuck around Kay. I might have been busy over there, but I could sense your fear when you were fighting Jade."

"So what?"

"What is going to happen?"

Kirsty looked down at the ground. "I'm not going to make it. My journey's going to end in a few hours."

"How?"

"Wrong spot during a fire fight with troopers."

"Where?"

"When we're assaulting Revan's ship."

"Then you'll be the pilot. You won't be joining us when we board."

"No!"

"It's not open for debate. Now, get on board."

She stared after him, as he moved into the ship. She closed her eyes, and sighed. She officially hated lying.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: NO!**

It was the point, in everyone's life. You had a choice. Save, or be saved. You could not have both. Someone was going to die. And you got to play God. There was no option. You couldn't say, I don't want to, and Everything would be okay. No. There was no option at this point in life.

Kirsty sat in the pilot's seat, staring blankly out the viewport, Scorch next to her, as the co-pilot. Aayla and Kal sat in the back, with Kira, making sure she didn't try anything funny. Matt and AJ sat in the middle seating row. No one spoke. They had just lost several of their own. The greatest people they knew, were gone. Vau. Ordo. Prudii. Mereel. Boss. Fixer.

How did this happen? That is the question that kept running through their minds. Another that went through Matt's mind was, if Kirsty knew the whole time, why didn't she do something to stop it? His eyes shift to her seat. What had she been thinking?

He looked over at AJ. "How's the arm?"

She shrugged. "It's okay. Could'a been worse."

He nodded. "Sure."

His gaze shifted back to Kirsty's seat. He felt AJ jam her elbow into his side. He looked over at her. "What was that for?" He whispered. AJ nodded up to Kirsty. "What is going on?" She asked. Matt looked back at Aayla, Kal, and the prisoner, and then back at AJ.

"She knew all of this was going to happen. And she says she's going to die during the confrontation on Revan's ship."

"So we can prevent it from happening."

"That's what I said."

"So what's the big deal?"

"She's not so convinced that anything can be prevented."

AJ adjusted herself in her seat and looked up at Kirsty's seat before looking back at Matt. "We pick and chose our paths. We set our destinies. Nothing is set in stone."

"Glad you think that way."

Suddenly the ship shook. Hard. Matt stood up from his seat, as did AJ. Kirsty and Scorch looked back at them. "I think they know we're coming." She said. Matt looked out the viewport, and suddenly an ISD materialized out of the air in front of them.

"Shit!" Kirsty screamed, yanking hard on the controls. "Pull up!"

"Working!" Scorch screamed. Alarms all around the cockpit began to go off. "Where the fuck did it come from?"

"Cloaking device. You were right Kirsty." AJ said. Kirsty and Scorch maneuvered the ship up and around. "Look. A docking bay entrance."

"What is going on?"

"We're stuck. Tractor beam."

Matt sat back, and sighed. Nothing was going right. He closed his eyes. Really? Really? Suddenly the comm went off. "Answer it." AJ said. Scorch hit the button. "This is Imperial General Zen Asis. You are hereby being taken into custody for interfering with an Imperial Operation."

Matt just sat there. "Come and get us."

The ship docked and a platoon of Storm Troopers surrounded the ship. Zen Asis walked down, flanked by two Royal Guards. "Rebels! Come out with your hands up!" He shouted. The ship showed no movement. Zen turned to an engineering team. "Open it up." The team moved toward the ship, when suddenly the board ramp began to lower to the ground.

In the background, an unknown figure could be seen moving around behind some crates and boxes. "Step out of the ship, slowly. With your hands in the air!"

From the darkness inside the ship, there was a sudden red glow. Zen took a step back, and waved the Royal guards forward. There was a flash and suddenly a female human flew out, and slammed down between the two royal guards. They both fell to the ground, decapitated.

"Jade?"

"Asis."

"What are you doing?"

"Doing what I should have done a long time ago. I'm taking back the planet I've lived on all my life. My home. You can either stand aside, or you can die with them." Suddenly Aayla was next to her, with Matt, two more blades, both glowing blue. "Your choice."

Zen looked at the three Jedi, and then stared behind them, at Kal, AJ, Kirsty, and Scorch, whom were holding blasters on the troopers. He began to shake. "NO! Kill them all!" He screamed, before turning and running away.

Suddenly the entire docking bay turned to hell and erupted into blaster fire. Three light sabers, one red, two blue, were mere flashes as they moved by the direction of the force, deflecting blaster bolt after blaster bolt. AJ, Kal, Kirsty, and Scorch ran down the boarding ramp and open fired on the storm troopers.

Zen reached the blast doors that led into the turbo lift. He opened it and ran – straight into armor. He shook his head. "Trooper, stand aside!"

"Why are you panicked, General Asis?"

Zen looked up, ashamed and suddenly fearful of sudden death. "Darth Revan! Oh. I'm so sorry. It seems that your apprentice has… turned against you."

Revan stared down at Zen, unmoving. Then he grabbed Zen by the shoulder and shoved him out of the way and marched passed him. Zen turned and looked after him, before turning and racing for the lift.

Kira deflected several bolts that the team of three storm troopers shot at her, before waving her hand at one, raising him into the air, before force throwing him into the other two. A short line of about 5 more troopers ran out in front of her. She stopped and raised her saber into a defensive stance, when suddenly A tall figure in Sith cloaks stormed in, grabbing several troopers and slamming them into the ground.

Kira stared into the mask and glared knowingly. "Master."

"Jade. What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done when you people showed up to begin with!"

Suddenly she raised her blade and slammed it down – onto Revan's blade. There was a sizzling sound as the blades locked against each other. "You have failed me, Jade."

"No, Master. You, are the failure." She pulled her blade back and under swept, causing Revan to bring his blade down, blocking her blow.

There was a clanking sound. Aayla and Matt were back to back, deflecting bolts and striking down any troopers close enough to do so. "Hey, Aayla?"

"Yes, Matthew?"

"There's a walker to your right."

"What?" She glanced to her right, and force pushed Matt down and leapt up as the AT-ST open fired it's cannons on them. She hit the ground, and readied her blade for deflection tactics when suddenly there was a flashed and a streak of light flew across the bay, and hit the walker, causing it to explode in a flash of bright flames.

"What the…" Matt started. A familiar, yet long lost face came out of the shadows and through the smoke. "Lara?" Matt breathed, laying on the floor from the blast. Indeed, it was the young British woman herself. She was wearing a worn tunic and pants, with an assault rifle slung over her back, a pistol on her left thigh, and a short sword on her right hip. Next to her, Ordo, Prudii, Mereel, Boss, and Fixer marched forward toward them.

The remaining Storm Troopers rushed to counter attack the new group that had arrived from the shadows. But they found that 6 thermal detonators, DeeCee Rifles, and short sword, and energy blasters were a much deadlier match then their mere blaster rifles.

And two Jedi, and four other soldiers on their backs didn't help. Moments later, the two groups met in the middle, where the fallen troopers lay, dead and unmoving. "Lara! You are alive!"

Lara nodded, and gave a short smile. "Indeed, I am. But there is no time for salutations. We must hurry. The General is getting away."

She waved for them to follow her, and they all turned, to find one battle still in motion.

Kira swung her blade, in full assault mode, at Revan's head, who merely ducked, before spinning around and slamming his blade down into hers as she blocked his blow. Kirsty stared after them, and her life suddenly flashed before her eyes. All the shit she's gone through. That damn portal. Getting stranded in some universe that she know well, yet, once she got there, she didn't know it at all.

And then, what was to come…

She closed her eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: The Future Isn't Written In Stone**

_Always in motion, the future is. And many possible futures, there are._

Lara led them in a path around the two fighting a deadly battle, when suddenly, at least a dozen mere beings dropped down in a circle around them. And all of them activated their light sabers. Matt looked at Aayla, and she nodded. "We'll handle this. You go get Zen."

Lara nodded, and waved the small group of blaster toting friends along. Matt and Aayla stepped back in toward the center of the hanger bay, as the cultist Sith moved with them. "Well, if there was ever a time for team work, I'd say this is it."

Aayla nodded. "Indeed…" They stood back to back, and for a moment, grabbed each other's free hand and squeezed tightly. Team work indeed. And then, it was put in motion. The dozen light saber welding cultists raced forward toward Matt and Aayla, keeping them completely surrounded.

Matt held onto Aayla, and she held onto him, as they began to spin in a circle. Suddenly they released each other and both went flying in opposite directions.

The group raced down the corridor, when they heard the turbo lift take off upward. "Damn it!" Kirsty hissed, slamming her fist against the durasteel wall. "He's getting away."

"Not for long." Ordo said, ripping open the lift control panel. Kal nodded. "That's my boy." Ordo pulled out several wires and began to switch them around rapidly. Suddenly there was a slow whirling sound as the turbo lift slowed to a stop. "Well. Now he's stuck."

"Well done Ord'ika. Now. Bring him back do…" Kal stopped in mid sentence as a clanking sound was made deep within the walls around them. "What in death's name?" Boss said. "Something tells me that is not good." Prudii murmured.

"Everyone move back…"

Suddenly a large ball dropped from a hole in the ceiling. "Down!"

Everyone leapt away, hitting the floor as the ball suddenly exploded.

Kirsty pushed herself up to her feet, only to find a dozen small droids racing toward her. She stepped back, blasting at the floor, but nothing was stopping them, as she couldn't aim straight. Panic was disrupting her aim. Suddenly there was a crunch. She looked up as Scorch smashed his boots onto the small parasite droids.

"Really?" She asked, as he stomped the rest of the droids out. He smirked. "Of course."

"Shab!" Ordo hissed. Kal moved up next to him. "What's wrong, Ord'ika?"

"Asis managed to move the turbo lift up and got out on the nearest floor."

"Which was?"

"Ten."

"Bring it down."

Scorch put his arm around Kirsty's shoulders and pulled her close to him as they waited for Ordo to do what he did best. "How did you survive the fall?" AJ asked Mereel. He looked over at her and nodded to Lara. "She was watching the whole time. Had a net of sorts waiting down below."

"Bright chick, she is." Prudii said, chuckling. "Hey, so is that all the tricks this guy has?" Fixer asked. AJ shook her head. "I wouldn't bet my money on that."

Matt flew forward, and hit the floor, spinning around, swinging his saber around in a complete 360. He came up to his feet and leapt upward, and found himself swan diving over a thrown light saber. He hit the ground and went into a cartwheel roll and came up, slicing the legs out from under one cultist, before leaping up a few feet in the air, spinning around, and locking blades with another cultist.

The freak force user just laughed and force pushed Matt backward into a nearby parked ship. "Come on, useless Jedi!"

Aayla landed in the middle of a small group of them, whom quickly surrounded her, sabers raised high for attack. "Come on, now…"

"Are you ready to die, my beautiful Jedi?" One hissed. Aayla made a face. His breath was terrible. "I do not fear death, as you do." She dropped to the ground, and sent a force wave explode up around her, sending the small group up, before they were forcefully slammed into the ground.

Matt picked himself up and looked up at the dent in the side of the ship. He shook his head. "That was uncalled for!" He screamed. The cultist just laughed. "If that's how you feel about me throwing you into a ship, your not going to like this…"

He turned and held his hand out toward Aayla, who was busy fighting two cultists. Suddenly she stopped, and was gasping for air. Her light saber fell to the ground, deactivated. The two cultists circled her quickly and suddenly plunged their sabers into her back and chest.

Matt's eyes went wide. "NO!" He screamed. The cultist in front of him, lowered his hand, and Aayla fell to the floor, her breathing slowing to almost nothing. Matt turned to the cultist. "Go ahead. Kill me. Trade yourself to the dark side completely."

Matt's nostrils were flaring. He looked down at his light saber, which was shaking in his right hand. Suddenly he looked up at the cultist and let out a scream, before rushing forward, and slamming his blue blade directly down the center of the man's entire body.

The lift stopped at ten, and just before the doors opened, AJ could hear the faint sound of someone screaming 'No' at the top of their lungs. She suddenly felt faint and started to fall forward, when Boss and Mereel caught her. "Whoa there… what's wrong?"

"I… I don't know. Something's wrong."

"With whom? Or what?"

"I don't know. I think it's Matt. He's in a lot of pain."

Scorch pulled Kirsty to the side. "What do you know about that?"

"Aayla… I think she's dead."

"What?"

"They killed her… and made him watch."

"And… you kept this to yourself?"

"Yes."

He grabbed Kirsty by the arm and pulled her away from the group as they dealt with AJ. "What is wrong with you?"

"I figured they had it under control."

"You are the only one who saw what the writing said. You hold all of our futures!"

"That's not true!"

"How so?"

Kirsty felt a tear roll down her cheek. "The future," She said, "is not written in stone!"

Scorch looked past her, at AJ, who was staring at him. Suddenly there was a hiss from down the corridor, beyond the darkness. They all turned, aiming their blasters at nothing. "Told you he wasn't finished." AJ muttered.

Out of the darkness, a large Trandoshan walked out, and hissed at them. "Look. Someone let out the pet pig." AJ said, getting to her feet. She aimed her blaster at it, and fired one. It let out a slow hiss and fell, face first to the ground.

AJ rolled her eyes. "Right. Let's go get him." She said, marching forward. As she started to pass the dead Trando, it suddenly grabbed her left leg and let out a hiss. "Oh fuck!" She screamed, kicking it in the face. It stood up, and flipped AJ down onto her back. She landed with a "shit" coming out of her lungs, along with all the air. It crawled up on top of her and attempted to take a bite out of her neck.

"Get it off!" She screamed. Boss and Fixer raced over, and grabbed it by it's arms, and pulled it up and off, only to have it grab them both, slam them into each other and throw them off to the side like rag dolls. Kal fired on it, as did Ordo, and the rest of them, but it leapt from side to side, avoiding the blasts.

"Shit! Shit!" Kirsty screamed, as it leapt forward toward her and Scorch. It leapt again, reaching for Kirsty's face, only to have Scorch let a punch fly into it's face, knocking it back to the ground. "Make a move and I'll show you how commandos greet their enemies."

The lizard just glared. "I must die fighting." It hissed. Suddenly it jumped up and a blaster discharged into the Trando's face. It fell down, dead. "And died fighting you have."

They all gathered together, and raced past the dead lizard. As they reached the end of the dark corridor, Kal activated a head lamp, and found the controls for the door. As he reached for it, two red glowing energy bars activated behind them.

AJ turned, with Kirsty. "Well that's just fuckin' fabulous." She muttered. The two cultists just smiled from behind their blades. "We can't allow you to pass through that door."

"We can't allow you to pass through that door." AJ mimicked. "You know what? I'm so sick o' your shit!" Suddenly She rushed forward, and tackled one, as Lara drew her short sword. Kirsty ran forward, keeping the other cultist distracted. He took a swing at her, and Kirsty ducked.

Lara jumped forward, and raised her blade, bringing it down – as Kirsty got to her feet, and attempted to tackle the cultist. There was a sickening squishing sound, followed by a crunching sound. In front of her, Lara stared down, from under the glow of the red light saber, her friend, lay on the floor, her sword deep within her skull.

A muzzle flashed, followed by a second and third flash. Kal, Ordo, Mereel, and Prudii picked up Lara off the ground, as the deep sobs poured from her lungs and chest, the tears dampened the floor, her saliva shot from her lips with every exhausted cough.

Boss stood and saluted the body, before walking away. Scorch stood sitting on the ground, staring at her body, denial covering his face. Fixer stood over him, attempting to get him up on his feet, to pull him away from the scene.

AJ lay on the floor, the dead body of the cultist next to her. She could hear the sobbing from Lara. Fixer speaking to Scorch. She knew what she would have to do. General Zen Asis would have to be put down.

She stood and picked up the hilt of a light saber of one of the fallen cultists. She passed Scorch and Fixer, not pausing to even look at the other two bodies laying in front of them. She activated the door controls. It slid open with a hiss, and she stepped inside, without looking back. The door slid shut.

And locked.

From the inside.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: To Be The Captain Of My Fate**

She opened her eyes. "Wait." Kirsty turned to them. "Matt. You need to be prepared. We'll be surrounded by Cultist Sith in a moment. You and Aayla will stay and engage them. However, as strong as you both are… they will kill you, Aayla. And they will force Matt to watch. Because of it, Matt, you are going to turn to the dark side."

"Wait just one fucking moment…"

She waved him off. "When the rest of us enter after Asis, we'll be ambushed by a large ball that will unleash hundreds of small droids. We'll make it through. Just step on them. However. Once we get up to the tenth floor, however, we'll be ambushed by a hybrid Trandoshan. Aim for the head." She looked down at the ground. "And then I'll die, when Lara tries to fend off a Cultist Sith, and I get in the way of her blade."

Lara just stared at Kirsty. "AJ, you will stop and kill Asis, but at the same time, Matt, having turned, will show up, and kill you all. AJ, I'm sorry. But you will be forced to fight Matt. Who actually wins, I'm not sure. The future ended with the fight only starting."

No one spoke. Until Kal spoke up. "Lara. Prudii. Mereel. You stay here. Help them with the Cultists. That prevents you from killing Kirsty, and it gives the cultists one more problem which won't give them the chance of overrunning you two, and killing you." He said, nodding to Aayla.

"What about the two cultists up there?" Kirsty asked. Ordo snickered. "We'll handle them." Kal nodded. "We can do it." He sighed. "Did Vau survive?" He asked. Lara nodded quickly. "He was… setting something up."

"Good. Let's get going."

Kal led them in a path around the two fighting a deadly battle, when suddenly, at least a dozen mere beings dropped down in a circle around them. And all of them activated their light sabers. Kal looked at Matt, who looked at Aayla, and she nodded to Kal. "As Skywalker would have said, this is where the fun begins."

Kal nodded, and waved the small group of blaster toting friends along. Matt, Lara, Prudii, Mereel and Aayla stepped back in toward the center of the hanger bay, as the cultist Sith moved with them. "Well, if there was ever a time for team work, I'd say this is it."

Aayla nodded. "Indeed…" They stood back to back, and for a moment, grabbed each other's free hand and squeezed tightly. Team work indeed. Lara drew her short sword and stood in a defensive stance. The dozen light saber welding cultists raced forward toward the five, keeping them completely surrounded.

Matt let go of Aayla's hand, and the five of them began to turn in a circle. Attempting to keep track of all the cultists.

The group raced down the corridor, when they heard the turbo lift take off upward. "Damn it!" Kirsty hissed, slamming her fist against the durasteel wall. "He's getting away."

"Not for long." Ordo said, ripping open the lift control panel. Kal nodded. "That's my boy." Ordo pulled out several wires and began to switch them around rapidly. Suddenly there was a slow whirling sound as the turbo lift slowed to a stop. "Well. Now he's stuck."

"Well done Ord'ika. Now. Bring him back do…" Kal stopped in mid sentence as a clanking sound was made deep within the walls around them. "Is that…?" Boss asked Kirsty. She nodded quickly.

"Everyone move back…" Boss said.

Suddenly a large ball dropped from a hole in the ceiling. "Down!"

Everyone leapt away, hitting the floor as the ball suddenly exploded.

Kirsty pushed herself up to her feet, only to find a dozen small droids racing toward her. She slammed her foot down on one and there was a crunch. She looked up as Scorch smashed his boots onto the small parasite droids as well.

She just smiled as they stomped the rest of the droids out. He smirked. "Good job, Kay."

"Shab!" Ordo hissed. Kal moved up next to him. "What's wrong, Ord'ika?"

"Asis managed to move the turbo lift up and got out on the nearest floor."

"Which was?"

"Ten." Ordo blinked, recalling what Kirsty had said about going to the tenth floor.

"Bring it down." Kal said.

Scorch put his arm around Kirsty's shoulders and pulled her close to him as they waited for Ordo to do what he did best. "How did you survive the fall?" AJ asked Boss. He looked over at her. "Lara was watching the whole time. Had a net of sorts waiting down below."

"Bright chick, she is." Fixer said, chuckling. "Hey, so is that all the tricks this guy has?" Scorch asked. AJ shook her head. "I wouldn't bet my money on that."

Matt leapt forward, and hit the floor, rolling around before leaping to his feet, and swinging his saber around in a complete 360. He leapt upward, and found himself swan diving over a thrown light saber. He hit the ground and went into a cartwheel roll and came up, slicing the legs out from under one cultist, before leaping up a few feet in the air, spinning around, and locking blades with another cultist.

The freak force user just laughed and force pushed Matt backward into a nearby parked ship. "Come on, useless Jedi!"

Aayla landed in the middle of a small group of them, whom quickly surrounded her, sabers raised high for attack. "Come on, now…"

"Are you ready to die, my beautiful Jedi?" One hissed. Aayla made a face. His breath was terrible. "I do not fear death, as you do." She dropped to the ground, and sent a force wave explode up around her, sending the small group up, before they were forcefully slammed into the ground.

Matt picked himself up and looked up at the dent in the side of the ship. He shook his head. "That was uncalled for!" He screamed. The cultist just laughed. "If that's how you feel about me throwing you into a ship, your not going to like this…"

He turned and held his hand out toward Aayla, who was busy fighting two cultists. Suddenly He heard a sharp whoosh of metal slicing through flesh. He looked down at his chest and saw the short sword sticking out. Suddenly it was pulled free from his chest, and he fell down, dead.

Another cultist dropped down and let out a roar behind Matt, before there was another sickening slice of blade against flesh, as Prudii jammed his vibro-blade into the cultist's neck. Across the way, Matt looked over and saw Mereel in hand to hand with two other Cultists – and he was winning.

The lift stopped at ten, and just before the doors opened, AJ stopped, seemingly waiting for something to happen. She felt like this was déjà' vu, but she couldn't put her finger on it. They moved forward, when suddenly there was a hiss from down the corridor, beyond the darkness. They all aiming their blasters at nothing. "Told you he wasn't finished." AJ muttered.

Out of the darkness, a large Trandoshan walked out, and hissed at them. "Look. Someone let out the pet pig." AJ said, getting to her feet. She aimed her blaster at it, and fired one. It let out a slow hiss and fell, face first to the ground.

AJ rolled her eyes. "Right. Let's go get him." She said, marching forward. As she started to pass the dead Trando, it suddenly grabbed her left leg and let out a hiss. "Oh fuck!" She screamed, kicking it in the face. It stood up, and flipped AJ down onto her back. She landed with a "shit" coming out of her lungs, along with all the air. It crawled up on top of her and attempted to take a bite out of her neck.

"Get it off!" She screamed. Boss and Fixer raced over, and grabbed it by it's arms, and pulled it up and off, only to have it grab them both, slam them into each other and throw them off to the side like rag dolls. Kal fired on it, as did Ordo, and the rest of them, but it leapt from side to side, avoiding the blasts.

"Shit! Shit!" Kirsty screamed, as it leapt forward toward her and Scorch. It leapt again, reaching for Kirsty's face, only to have Scorch let a punch fly into it's face, knocking it back to the ground. "Make a move and I'll show you how commandos greet their enemies."

The lizard just glared. "I must die fighting." It hissed. Suddenly it jumped up and a blaster discharged into the Trando's face. It fell down, dead. "And died fighting you have."

They all gathered together, and raced past the dead lizard. As they reached the end of the dark corridor, Kal activated a head lamp, and found the controls for the door. As he reached for it, two red glowing energy bars activated behind them.

AJ turned, with Kirsty. "Well that's just fuckin' fabulous." She muttered. The two cultists just smiled from behind their blades. "We can't allow you to pass through that door."

"We can't allow you to pass through that door." AJ mimicked. "You know what? I'm so sick o' your shit!" Suddenly She rushed forward, and tackled one. Kirsty ran forward, keeping the other cultist distracted. He took a swing at her, and Kirsty ducked.

"Come on!" You can do better then that!" She taunted. Boss and Fixer rushed forward as AJ pinned down the cultist she tackled, and they blasted him in the face. AJ leapt to her feet, snatching up the light saber from the cultist. She marched to the door, and Kal hit the button, allowing her to march right into the dark room. The door closed behind her.

She turned, and blasted the controls, locking the door permanently. She heard movement to her right, and activated the light saber, while holstering the blaster. "General Zen Asis! Stop and I might make your death painless!"

Suddenly she heard the charging of a blaster. She sucked in a breath, and drew back her arm, and then without warning, threw the light saber. It flew around the parameter of the room, and then she heard the blade catch something by the sound of it's sizzle.

She felt someone grab her from behind. She instantly reared up, smashed Asis into the wall, just before she jammed her left elbow into his eye, causing him to release her. She turned and reached for her holstered blaster, but he was fast and tackled her. The blaster went flying.

"Give up, Outcast!"

She spat in his face and then slammed her face into his. He grabbed his face and she kneed him in the crotch and he let out a loud yelp. "Bitch!" She yelled, throwing him off of her. She leapt to her feet, only to have him trip her up by kicking her feet out from under her. She hit the ground hard.

She saw out of the corner of her eye, him reaching for the blaster. She scrambled onto all fours and tackled him. She pushed down hard on his head, forcing it into the floor. With all of her weight on his head, she reached forward for the blaster. But before she could snatch it up, he threw his arm into her face, knocking her back.

He snatched up the blaster. AJ scrambled backward on her butt, and looked around frantically. She saw the light saber hilt laying on the other side of the room. _I'm not a fuckin' Jedi! _She reached her hand out, staring out it. Willing it to come to her hand. It didn't budge.

"Now, outcast… I'm going to get rid of you, and then your friends!" Asis said, as he turned to her, glaring. She felt her heart rate increase as her mind screamed to the hilt. _Come HERE! _Suddenly it flew from under the desk and into her hand. She hit the button on it, and the red blade extended out. Asis fired off a shot, and it bounced off the blade, and slammed back into his chest.

The look of surprise filled his face as he looked down at the scorch mark that had fried his chest. "I'm not the outcast." AJ said, standing up, as Asis looked up at her, with a look that cried 'Why?' She glared down at him. "You are." She raised the blade and brought it down.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Taking A Stand**

The ship shook for some reason. Probably more then it should have. Matt walked down the hanger bay, twirling his light saber around in his left hand. A cultist attempted to drag himself along the floor, toward a safety that was no where in sight. As Matt approached him, he began to scream out crude remarks. He put out his hand, and lightning shot from his fingers. Matt merely deflected it off his blade. Almost casually, he twirled his blade around, decapitating the cultist.

Aayla walked in the same direction as Matt, about a yard away from him, with Lara, Prudii, and Mereel behind them. They all moved toward the battle between Jade and Revan. Revan suddenly kicked Jade backward, sending her to the floor on her back. Revan walked over and looked down at her from behind his mask.

"Foolish. Turning against me."

"No. I call it taking a stand."

He raised his blade.

"Revan!" A shout come from about 3 yards in front of him. He looked up and glared at the young man, Young woman, their two clone companions, and Twi'lek Jedi Master. "You two human fools! You can not stop me. I am the dark lord of the Sith. I am Darth Revan."

Matt snickered suddenly. Lara looked over at him, wondering if he'd gone crazy. "We took out Darth Sidious. You are just mere slime at the bottom of the bucket."

"You don't know my true power."

"So? Show me what you got."

Revan glared at Matt, and suddenly Jade was lifted up into the air, and without even a glance, or a hand wave from Revan, she went flying all the way across the hanger bay. There was a sickening thud as she hit the bulkhead, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Matt nodded to Revan, and raised his blade up over his head, ready for whatever he was going to try. Aayla appeared next to him, her blade at the ready as well. Prudii and Mereel stood off to the side, with Lara, ready to support the two Jedi as needed.

The door slid open, and AJ walked out, her chin bruised and her temple with a cut, blood sliding down the side of her face. Kal, Ordo, Boss, Fixer, Kirsty, and Scorch looked at her. "You look like shit." Kirsty said to her. AJ shrugged. "You shoul' see the other guy."

The ship suddenly shook hard, sending everyone to grab hold of something to steady themselves. "What in fuck's name was that?" AJ hissed.

"Something tells me that it isn't good."

AJ looked at Kirsty. "Now what do we do?"

Kirsty made a face. "Why are you asking me?"

"You're the future reader."

"I told you it ended with Matt and you fighting! We changed it. I don't know what's happening now."

"Then perhaps we should go find out who this Revan guy is." Ordo said, holstering his blaster.

Revan stood, staring at the duo of Jedi in front of him. Matt and Aayla stood ready. Suddenly Revan ran forward, slamming Aayla to the ground hard, while slamming his light saber into Matt's.

The strength of Revan's blade being slammed against his, almost made Matt fall backwards, but instead, he only bent himself backwards, managing to stand back up straight, and glare into Revan's mask. "Let's take that off…" Matt reached up, but Revan put his strength forward, sending Matt to the floor quickly. "No one touches my mask!"

Revan raised his blade, when suddenly Aayla rushed forward, and kicked Revan back. He fell to the ground, and rolled back up to his feet. "Foolish bitch!"

Suddenly a blaster rifle was smashed into his face as he was grabbed from behind. His light saber was activated and Prudii felt a sudden emptiness in his abdomen. He fell back to the ground as Aayla rushed forward, her blade held up at a defensive assaulting position. Their blades crossed, and Revan kicked at her, causing her to jump back.

Matt leapt to his feet, and suddenly he was on Revan's other side. He found himself outnumbered, but he obviously wasn't about to back down from the fight. And suddenly Matt noticed a large puddle of water forming around Revan's feet. Matt smirked.

Suddenly Revan swung his blade forward at both of them, only to slip slightly. His arms shot out, to help steady himself. Suddenly he felt himself being restrained by an invisible force. The water began to form up, into a shape, and suddenly the water took on color, and Kirsty materialized in front of Revan. "Hi." She said.

Suddenly she collapsed to the floor, in a massive puddle of water again, and he was suddenly pushed forward, and slipped on the water, and fell forward, face first. There was a cracking sound as he hit the floor. Revan pushed himself up about an arms length above the floor, and then knelt on one knee, and removed his mask, which had been shattered when his face hit the floor.

Matt and Aayla stood, ready for anything. Lara materialized out of the air and Kirsty materialized out of the water next to her. Mereel knelt next to Prudii on the floor, with Kal, Ordo and Delta. AJ around Revan with Matt and Aayla. He let the pieces of his mask fall to the floor. A waste. Pure waste. "This isn't how it was supposed to end." He murmured.

"How was it supposed to end, then?" Aayla asked. Revan stared at the ground. "You were all supposed to die. I was supposed to conquer the Earth, in the name of the Sith." He stood and looked over at Matt, Aayla, and AJ. "You know, a lot changed for me, when that portal was opened. And I accepted the change. It was better then my previous life on earth. Those people. Those rich bastards and those losers who couldn't… no. Who wouldn't even try to live the life that was given to them. They wasted it all!

And somehow, I was supposed to just stand by and watch it happen. Watch them destroy this planet. My home. No. I was given this life to clean up this planet. You just made it easier when you opened the portal."

"We didn't plan on that. And you won't be conquering any planet as long as We're alive." Matt said.

"Well, then. Let me fix that."

Suddenly he turned and his light saber flew forward, and, like a boomerang, flew fast, around, in a 180 degree turn. AJ stood her ground, and the light saber dove down. AJ leapt up – and so did the red blade, and slide it's self through AJ's torso.

Before any of them could react, the blade turned, and Revan let out a roar of anger. The blade flew around, for a new target. Aayla held her blade ready, but the red blade dove up, and jammed it's self into her chest. All the air left her lungs in that instance, and the her eyes went wide.

"NO!" Matt screamed, as he watched his friends fall to the ground, dead. Revan's blade extracted it's self from Secura's chest and was lifted up into the air. Suddenly a massive electric storm formed and bolts shot from the tip of the blade, hitting all around the hanger bay. A bolt slammed down, hitting Kal in the chest, sending him flying.

Delta, Ordo, and Mereel drew their blasters, and fired upon Revan, only to have the weapons ripped from their hands and turned against them. The blaster bolts ripped through their armor from the close range that they were fired at. They both went down. Lara quickly vanished and Kirsty rushed forward toward Revan, who brought his blade back down to his hand. He turned and swung his red light saber at Kirsty, who transformed into a liquid being, causing the blade to move through her cleanly, but leaving herself unharmed.

"You won't leave alive." She warned him. He just looked at her, and suddenly he plunged the blade into her, just as she went to liquid form, and he sent an force blast of electricity through the blade, which connected with the water molecules, causing Kirsty to return to human form.

As the electric blast surged through her body, he raised her up into the air, and waved his hand. There was a sickening snap and Kirsty stopped moving. Suddenly he felt something punch his back. He didn't turn around as he turned his blade on, and shoved it behind him.

There was a gasp as Lara materialized out of the air, the blade extending through her stomach, and through her back. Revan turned his blade off, allowing her to fall to the ground, dead.

Suddenly, Revan found himself flying backwards, only to land hard on the floor. Matt punched him hard in the face, and pulled him up an inch, and punched him back down again. "Why?" Matt screamed, punching him again, spreading the blood from his nose around his face. "Why did you do that?" He pushed Revan back down, and stood up. He stared down at the face of his enemy. It was bloody, and human. "Get up." Matt snarled.

Revan just laid there, breathing slowly. "I said…" Matt reached down and pulled Revan to his feet. "…GET THE FUCK UP!"

Suddenly Revan smashed his face into Matt's knocking him back a few steps. With a bloody grin, Revan activated his light saber. Matt turned, with a hand against the base of his nose, he drew blood from it. Revan raised his hand and smashed the butt of his hilt into Matt's face, and then knocked him to the floor face first. Matt laid on the floor, a tear rolling from his right eye. He pushed him self to his knees, and spat blood from his mouth.

"Why did you kill them?"

"Well, as I'm sure your clone buddies would tell you, that the first rule of combat is, to kill them before they kill you. And as the template for those clones would say, I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe. Gotta survive – there are no rules of engagement."

Matt nodded slowly. "Indeed."

Suddenly he was on his feet, his blue blade and flurry of bright white light and Revan's red blade the same, as they moved like lightning at each other, blades striking each other over and over, the spark of each strike a millisecond from each other's sound base. The two moved back, as the blades moved furiously in a multitude of arcs, waves and swings, attempting to remove an arm, or leg, or worse – decapitate each other's head.

A kick here, and leap here, the battle went on furiously through the doors that led down the main corridor. They were now in the middle of the ship. Revan swung his blade under-handed, and Matt knocked it away from him, and spun around as Revan brought it back up, only to hit the blocking blade. Suddenly Matt kicked Revan backward, and he moved through the blast doors behind him, with Matt following closely. All around them, the reactors of the ship hummed loudly. Revan moved backwards cautiously along the catwalk platforms that overlooked the bottomless shafts of each reactor that the walkways snaked through. Matt inched forward, his blade moving furiously with Revan's.

Neither spoke. The blades clashed, over and over in brightly lit sparks, and finally, their blades locked against each other and they both leaned in toward each other, glaring. Suddenly Revan spat blood into Matt's face, causing him to lose focus. Revan jumped at the chance, and kicked him backwards. Matt struggled to catch his balance, and in the process, lost his grip on his blade, and along with it, fell backwards.

Matt turned the fall into a flip quickly, and grabbed the edge of the catwalk with his finger tips. He swung slightly, by his finger tips, and glanced down, only to watch his light saber fall into darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: Can Love Can Heal All Wounds?**

Revan walked over to the edge of the catwalk, and grinned a bloody toothy grin.

"Face it boy!" He extended his arms out on either side of him. "You have lost. I have won. And my prize… Earth. Power. Greatness."

Matt felt his fingers loosing their grip. He quickly swung his other hand up, to increase his grip. Revan walked over and knelt down on one knee. "Look at you. Weak. Just like your friends. Your true friends. Your lover. Your comrades. And just like them…" He snickered. "… just like them, you will die."

Matt took in a deep breath.

Suddenly he force leapt up, high over Revan's head. He landed behind him, and Revan turned, his blade raised his over his head. Matt reached up and grabbed his hands, which gripped the blade, and the two fought for the power over the hilt. Revan just grinned. Matt let out a grunt and smashed his face forward into Revan's, knocking him silly, before ripping the hilt from his hands. Revan moved forward, and there was a hiss. He looked down at his stomach. The red blade was sticking through his abdomen. He fell forward, into Matt's arms.

Gasping, Matt lowered Revan to the catwalk slowly. "I… lost." Matt just stared down at him. "Indeed. Your craving for power proved to be your downfall. And you killed my friends."

Revan laughed. "So…" He gasped for air. "So… actually… I won. You have been turned to the dark side."

Matt felt a tear roll down his right cheek. "I don't think so. I don't fear death. As you did." He said to the dead man before him.

He stood, and looked down at his latest – and surely not his last enemy. Now nothing but a dead corpse, with no soul. He turned. It was a long walk back to the hanger. It was quiet. Dark. The lights flickered on and off. As he reached the hanger bay, he stared out, across the length of the bay, and suddenly it hit him. Kirsty. Lara. Kal. Ordo. Prudii. Mereel. Scorch. Boss. Fixer. AJ. Aayla. He felt his heart slow. His stomach flopped over inside. He suddenly felt sick. He walked over slowly, step by step, until he was in the middle of the strange circle of bodies.

Then denial set in. He turned and rushed to his friends, one by one. He held their bodies in his arms, hugging them, pleading with them to wake up. He held Kirsty in his arms. "Kirsty. Wake up. We won." She didn't respond. He shook her for a moment. "Kirsty. Kay… KAY! Wake up!" He set her down on the floor and rushed over to Lara. "Lara! Lara!" He pulled her arm around him and sat her up against the wall as she sucked in a breath.

"Matt." She smiled, before coughing and gasping for air. "Did you get him?" She asked. He nodded quickly. "Yes. He's dead." She coughed again. "Good. Good job, mate." She closed her eyes, and let out a breath slowly. He looked over at the bodies on the floor. "He… killed them. Didn't he?"

Lara opened her eyes and nodded slowly, before a sob escaped her throat. "Yes." She hiccupped. "Their all dead." She began to tremble. "Matt." He turned to her. "What, what is it?"

"Matt… please. Please. I need a hug."

Matt nodded slowly, and pulled her into his arms. She curled up in his arms, and he gave her squeeze. "Thanks, Matt. For coming back for me. For trying to save our home. For being a great friend to me."

Matt felt a tear roll down his face. He listened to her breath slowly. Each breath that escaped from her lungs came slower then the last. Then she just stopped breathing. He sat there, still hugging her. He stared at the bulk head across the way. His mind was clear. He was frozen.

Minutes seemed like hours, and he got up and walked over, and pulled AJ into a neat, sleeping stance. He laid down next to her, and stared up at the ceiling. "AJ. You are a great friend. But I really hate serious pranks like this…" He looked over at her face, emotionless. He closed his eyes, trembling, wanting to lash at out everything and everyone, but had nothing or no one to do so to.

Fifteen minutes went by. He stood and moved a few feet, and collapsed next to his friend, his love, his master. His idol. He pulled Aayla into his arms, and pulled her face into his shoulder, and began to sob heavily.

"Aayla. Please. Wake up. I can not go on without you." He looked up. "All of you! Get up! Wake up!" He screamed. "This is not the right future!" He stood, and let out a deafening scream, and gasped before he collapsed to the ground again. He got on his knees, and crawled over to one of AJ's blasters on the ground. Suddenly he stopped, and let out a heavy breath, in a poor attempt to control his weeping.

_Nothing is written in stone._

He felt a strange energy underneath him. As he shook his head, and focused, he noticed a strange blue glow all over his palms. Suddenly a wave a energy erupted from him, and expanded across the bay, enveloping his comrades and friends. He took in a breath as he looked around. Suddenly the energy wave was sucked back in, and vanished under his palms. He sat back, and examined his palms.

He heard movement to his right. He looked over and saw AJ moaning as she sat up. Then Boss sat up, and Kirsty was coughing. As he stood up on his feet, he circled around, and saw all his friends and comrades waking up. He suddenly turned and ran over to Aayla, whom was still unmoving. He sighed, and grasped her left hand in his hands and stared at her. _Wake up._ He pleaded with her silently.

Suddenly Aayla gasped. Matt looked up as she blinked rapidly, trying to take in air. Matt looked at the wound in her chest. It was gone, healed. "Aayla. Thank the force!"

She sat up, and looked around. "Are you okay?" She asked him. He almost laughed. "I should be asking you that!" He pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm fine, sweetheart. You all are okay. All of you are alive. It's a miracle." He whispered to her.

She put her arms around his neck and whispered something in his ear. He smiled softly, and he pulled her into a deep kiss, which she did not refuse. From afar, Kal Skirata smiled softly. Ordo walked up next to him. "Life is given a second chance." Kal said. Ordo nodded. "No better way to celebrate it." Mereel and Prudii walked up along side them, and Ordo chuckled at Prudii. "Gee, thought we'd lost you there buddy."

"Could say the same to you." He replied. They laughed.

Boss, Scorch and Fixer were checking their weapons and armor, when Kirsty walked up. "Commandos." She greeted. "Hey, Kay." Scorch said, "Can you check my back plate. It feels crooked." Kirsty walked over to him, as he checked his DeeCee. She took it from his hands. "At ease, soldiers. The fight is over."

Boss and Fixer exchanged glances and quickly put on their helmets as Scorch and Kirsty's lips met.

"Oh…" Boss started.

"…boy." Fixer finished.

AJ stood, staring out of the hanger bay viewport, which overlooked the city that had been demolished. "It's only damaged." AJ turned and saw Lara standing next to her. She nodded. "Yes. It can be rebuilt."

The question was; who would be up for the job? Lara and Kirsty could never stay on earth. Their strange abilities to vanish into thin air, and become pools of water were to abnormal for normal human beings. Matt would never be able to stay here either. His strong connection with the force and Aayla…

That left only herself. She clicked her tongue and sighed. Suddenly Matt was next to her, as was Kirsty and Kira. "Revan's dead. So is Asis. We need to reopen the portal, and send it all back now."

"Yes. And you all have to go back with it."

Matt cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because, you are no longer normal! Kirsty has control over water molecules, and Lara can become transparent. You have an intense connection with the force and…"

"And what, AJ?"

"And Aayla."

"What of yourself?" Jade asked. AJ turned to her. "What of me? I don't have a connection with the force. I can not turn invisible or fire water cannons from my palms."

"You liar." Jade shot. Kirsty looked over at her, confused. "What in fucks name are you speaking?"

"You have a connection with the force. More then I have, probably."

"Prove it!"

Suddenly Kira rushed at AJ, who flinched and suddenly Kira went flying backward. She hit the wall hard and sank to the floor. She winced as she stood, and nodded to AJ. "I'll remain behind. Someone has to protect the portal. To see that it will never be reopened."

"Kira."

She looked over at Matt. "You are a great person."

"Just… do me a favor." She said. They all nodded. "Don't open the fuckin' thing ever again."

"Should be no problem."

Suddenly alarms all around them began to sound off. "What the fuck is that?" AJ muttered. Fixer rushed over to a control console on the wall. "Looks like someone is approaching the ship. Lots of some ones.

Matt exchanged glanced with AJ, Kirsty, Lara, and Kira. The air force units from every country's military was probably coming. Fast and Hard, just like they would in the movies more then likely. Kal spoke up. "Can we open communications with the leaders?"

Fixer shrugged. "We can try…" He hit a few keys and then nodded to Kal. "Attention. This is the imperial star destroyer. Do you read, over?"

They waited a moment. Nothing. Kal sucked in a breath. "Alright. If you can hear me, this is Kal Skirata, of the Galactic Republic. Do not attempt an attack. We have control of the ship now, and mean no one harm." They waited. Then a static-filled voice replied, "Negative. Negative. I have orders to fire at will. If you don't wish to become scrap metal, I suggest you abandon ship and surrender yourselves to our ground units. Over."

Everyone exchanged glances. It was time to retreat back through the portal.

Immediately.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: Clean Up**

"Are we going to die?" Lara asked suddenly. Matt shook his head. "No. No one is going to die."

"It takes too long to get the portal open."

"No it doesn't."

"It took you forever last time!"

"Last time was what? 6 months ago? I've improved my technique lately, thank you very much!"

"Shut up. Or you will die!" Kira screamed. Everyone looked at one another. "Matt. Get the portal open. Everyone going with him line up over there."

The ship shook hard around them. Matt turned to Kira as everyone lined up. "Hey. You going to be alright?" He asked her. She shrugged. "Better then you, having to go back to that retched universe." She said, half smirking.

Matt nodded. "You and I, we might not have known each other but for what? A day or two? Still… I feel like I'm leaving a friend behind."

She looked down at the ground. "Well. I hope so. I would like to think I've become one of your friends."

Matt just smiled and pulled her into a hug. She stood there, unsure of what to do, before slowly, putting her arms around him, hugging him back. He stood back, bracing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to go and fix a big problem for you. The rest, I'll leave up to you. Okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Alright." He turned, and she called out, "Matthew."

He turned back to her. She nodded. "Remember."

He just nodded, and ran over to the group. He had a portal to open. Kira turned and took off for one of the ships just lying around. She climbed in, and put on her restraints, and started up the ship, but not before staring out at the group. Warriors. Jedi. Bounty Hunters. Captains. Leaders. Clones. Friends. Lovers. She sighed, wishing she could come with them. Instead, she grabbed the control stick and lifted the ship up, and left the hanger bay.

Matt ran over in front of the group. "Alright. I'm going to need your help." He said to his friends. "Everyone gather around in a circle, and take each other's hands. AJ ran over, and stood on one side of Matt. She took his hand and smiled. He nodded. Aayla followed, and stood on Matt's other side. She grasped his hand, and he gave hers a squeeze. Before Matt's eyes, the entire group formed a circle.

"Close your eyes. And no. We're not praying, though it's not a bad idea…"

Everyone closed their eyes. Matt nodded and did the same. He envisioned the entire thing. The small ball of energy forming in the center of their circle. It expanded with the amount of energy they all focused into it. It grew, and suddenly enveloped the entire ship. All over the planet, similar energy fields formed over every thing not human and from earth.

Matt opened his eyes, and the balls collapsed around them all, and everything star wars, including themselves, vanished from the planet they once called home.

Down below the ship, Kira sat, surrounded by the military. The ship she'd used to evacuate the ISD had vanished, along with the massive imperial ship above their heads. The commander leading the ground assault stood, scratching his head. "Can you explain that?" He asked her.

She just shook her head. "I could. But you would never believe me."

The darkness opened to a bright light. As Kirsty pushed herself up to her knees, then stood, one foot at a time, she blocked out the glare of the sun that was just coming up from over the horizon. With a glance around her, she noted light speeder traffic in the air just outside the window, overlooking a massive cityscape. She felt a shiver go down her back, and glanced around again, spotting a light robe draped over a chair. She reached over and pulled it around her lightly dressed body.

She turned and looked around the medium sized room she was in. It was a bedroom, judging by the large bed, couch, closet, doorway that led into the 'fresher, and the beautiful view looking over the city. A thought crossed her mind. _Where are the others? _She moved to the closet, and found some more practical clothes. She put on the boots and with a quick glance around, she moved to the door, and with a breath, she opened the door, and found herself in the small hall of an apartment.

As she stepped into the next room, she stared out the window and saw a normal society… just in a galaxy far, far away. Suddenly she heard a beeping sound. She looked around and saw a comm link on the table. She moved over to it, and answered it. "Hello?"

"Kay?"

"Scorch? Where are you? Have you heard from any of the others?"

"Matt and Kal. Where are you?"

"In an apartment on Coruscant. You?"

"Coruscant as well. Sounds like that's where we all are. But I'm sort of in custody down at the senate building. I woke up in the hall."

"That's a crime?"

"It's illegal for the homeless to gather in the senate building."

"Why do they think your homeless?"

"I don't have any armor. Just my standard tunic."

Kirsty huffed. "Alright. I'm coming down there. What of Matt and Kal?"

"Their both gathering the others, and are on their way here too."

"Hang in there, hun."

She shut off the comm and moved for the door.

Matt stood, waiting around the corner of a building, with AJ next to him. "How do you plan on getting past the guards?"

"We're not going to get past them with stealth. We're waiting for Kal, Kirsty, and the others. Kal can order they release Scorch. We can't. We're not technically from here."

AJ just nodded, and readjusted her tunic. She had been rather annoyed, waking up after getting put through that fucking portal again, with only under garments on. But at least she hadn't been the only one. From what she heard, They all woke up with only under garments. Something about that portal wouldn't allow them to come back with anything but minimal clothing and their own bodies.

"Wait. Wait." Matt took out a set of binoculars. "Kal, Ordo, and Lara have arrived."

"And so have I."

They both turned and saw Kirsty. "Kay!" Kirsty embraced them both with a hug. "So what's the plan?"

"Kal's going in with Ordo. Lara will be over here in just a moment. Aayla, Mereel, Prudii, and Delta?"

"In hiding for the time being."

Matt nodded, and they turned to watch as Kal and Ordo went into the senate building, moving past the guards without trouble. Lara suddenly materialized next to them. Matt cocked an eyebrow. "Nice to see you, Lara."

"Lovely to be here."

Five minutes went by slowly and suddenly they walked out, Scorch next to them. They moved around the corner of the building. Kirsty greeted Scorch by jumping into his arms with a bear hug. Matt nodded to Kal. "Reports are piling in about a mass of imperial ships appearing all over the galaxy. Most are destroyed, but the Chancellor is out for blood."

"Why?"

"We just got rid of the imperials. We're all supposed to be living happily ever after. We just need to go into hiding for a short time. I've already taken care of it."

"Great. How long will we be hiding?"

"A standard week, maybe a week and a half. The two bounty hunters will be bringing in two imperial agents – the last of their kind, for a nice size bounty in a few days. And then, we'll be free to continue with our lives."

"Fabulous…" Lara said, slowly vanishing into the air. Kirsty rolled her eyes and shoved the invisible girl, causing her to materialize again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: Epilogue**

_**6 Standard Months Later**_

The sun was rising, the light creeping in through the lightly draped windows of the small villa on Naboo. Kirsty's eyes fluttered opened slowly, and she glared at the light in her eyes. She sat up on the edge of the bed, taking the covers with her naked body. She stood up, draping the sheet around her body, and moved to the window, and watched the sun set. It was beautiful.

She felt a hand touch her right shoulder, and slowly run down her arm. She felt a shiver run down her back. "You sure are up early." She heard the familiar voice say softly. She smiled, and turned to Scorch. She felt her heart rate increase as she set her eyes on his strong naked chest. "It got a little bright in here, is all."

Scorch reached down and pulled her close to him, and their lips met, softly at first, until they both pushed into the kiss, deepening and intensifying it. The sheet fell away to the floor, and Scorch picked her up in his arms, and laid her on the bed. As he applied kisses to her entire body, she giggled. "I really do have to get…" suddenly she gasped in surprise. "They so did not teach you that in clone training!"

She shook her head. "I have a meeting with the senate."

He came up. "When?"

"This afternoon."

He looked at the chronometer on the table. "You've got plenty of time."

"Come on." Matt said, marching down the path with AJ dragging behind him with pack full of rocks. "Why are we doing this? I should be sleeping!"

"You asked for lessons on the force. Before you can learn to master the force, you must strengthen your body and mind first."

"Well… I don't wanna!"

Matt stopped and turned to her. "Why not?"

"I'm… tired."

"Pussy."

"What?"

"You heard me. You're a fucking pussy."

AJ glared and marched passed him, exhausted, but ignoring the fatigue.

Matt just smiled. "That's the Ajmina Khan I know!" He said, moving up next to her. He pulled the pack off her back, and tossed it away, before putting an arm around her and hugging her.

"Come on. I have a new lesson for you. One you'll like."

They entered a small workshop. She glanced around at all the tools. "What's this?"

"It's time. To make your own hilt."

"My own… light saber?"

"The crystal is all you'll need after you get the hilt formed. She grinned and hugged him tightly. "You are the best!"

He just smiled. "Get to work. I'll be over here if you need me."

Aayla walked with Kal, as they approached Ordo, who was in combat training with Lara. "I see she's improving," Kal said as Mereel and Prudii approached. "Indeed. She's also working on her own armor in her spare time. She's skillful, that one."

Kal chuckled. "Indeed. A good diplomat, too, is she?"

Aayla nodded. "She's been a good ally to have when on ambassador missions."

Kal looked over at Aayla. "How is _He_ doing?"

Aayla looked at him, and nodded. "Well. I'm leaving in a little while, to return home for a bit. He's training Ajmina in the Jedi ways."

"Good. We can use at least one more of your kind. Us Mando'a, as much as we hate to admit it, can not do it alone."

Aayla chuckled. "And you don't have to."

AJ looked at her light saber. Hand crafted. By her very own hands. She activated it by the button on the hilt, and suddenly it came alive, with the bright red glow, the steady hum, and the deadly blade itself.

She smiled. Clapping erupted behind her. "Well done!" Matt said, laughing. He walked over as she switched the saber off, grinning. "Thank you." She said, bowing. "You can now assist in protecting the galaxy against threats of terror in a… diplomatic way. Aggressive negotiations."

"Which is?"

Matt grinned. "Negotiations with a light saber."

More clapping came from behind them. "Indeed. Congratulations, Ajmina." Aayla said, stepping into the room. Matt smiled softly. "You have trained hard the past few months. But the life of a Jedi is long, and their training never ends."

AJ nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Master Secura."

"The senate calls upon one Captain Harrington, from the planet of…" The supreme chancellor blinked. "Um…" He said, as the transcode showed no previous home planet. Suddenly Kirsty's pod in the massive senate chambers flew forward. "Naboo, your majesty."

The chancellor smiled. "Of course. Proceed, please, Captain."

Kirsty nodded, and her pod floated to the center of the chambers.

"I call out to the republic."

* * *

The small flames from the dozen candles lit the room up, leaving shadows all around the room. Matt laid Aayla gently on the bed, placing soft kisses on her lips.

* * *

"In the name of democracy."

* * *

AJ sat, meditating in the darkness of her apartment.

* * *

"In the same of free will!"

* * *

She put her arms up over her head as he lifted her top off. She gasped as he attacked her neck with his lips, before she removed his tunic.

* * *

"In the name of the force, and in the name of those who served us in the great war."

* * *

A vision passed her. Kira Jade. The reconstruction of their home planet. Earth.

* * *

"Let us work on the DNA code of these clones. Let us find a way to cure the accelerated aging process."

* * *

He reached down, as the two kissed passionately, and unclipped her light saber hilt from her belt. He set it on the side table, along with his own. Aayla kicked her boots off, and slid his off with her feet as well.

* * *

"These men deserve nothing more then a normal life now, as they have done their duty well!"

* * *

She smiled as towers were rebuilt, homes filled with families. Job were flourishing. And Jade was in charge of the entire new world military.

* * *

"The Republic is back in order. Let the clones, dead and alive, rest in peace of a normal destiny!"

* * *

He started down her body, placing kisses all the way down, before he reached her pants. He smiled, almost devilishly, as he slowly removed her belt.

* * *

A massive cheer erupted throughout the senate chambers, and Kirsty smiled, her heart pounding madly in her chest. Kal smiled, and put his hand on her shoulder. No words needed to be spoken. They had brought peace to the galaxy. It might not ever last, but at least they could help control it while they were there.

This was their life now.

And none of them would have it any other way.

* * *

The End.

* * *

_A Star Wars Fan Fiction._

_In Association With Smith/Harrington Productions._

The Portal Of Darkness 2: The Fight For Earth.

Created By Kirsty Harrington.

Written By Matthew Smith.

Starring; Kirsty Harrington.

Ajmina Khan.

Matthew Smith.

Amy Allen as Aayla Secura.

Kal Skirata.

Lara Hall.

Ordo.

Prudii.

Mereel.

Delta Squad – Scorch – Boss – Fixer.

Zen Asis

Darth Revan

Kira Jade

With a Special Appearance by Ryan Adams, AKA Blazer.

Thanks to all who supported this series. I hope you enjoyed it. To Kirsty; I hope this at least hit your expectations a little. You were the visionary. Ajmina. You rock, just because you actually read this entire series, and you seemed to never get bored with it. Thank you!


End file.
